Rafael Nadal was playing at the 2023 Australian Open when he suddenly suffered what seemed to be a hip injury, making it impossible for him to play the way he wanted to.
Nadal arrived at the Australian Open with hopes of doing really well. He won the event last year, and while very few thought he could do it again, the Spaniard certainly didn’t think he was without any chances.
Things went sideways quickly as he injured himself in his first-round match. The injury proved quite significant because his play was considerably affected by it, allowing Mackenzie McDonald to beat him comfortably in three sets.
While Nadal clearly couldn’t compete the way he wanted to, he still played out the match, not wanting to retire as the defending champion. It’s a decision that might prove costly because, after returning to Spain, the Spaniard got some bad news.
Further testing done in Barcelona revealed that Nadal suffered a Grade II injury, which will leave him unable to play for at least 6-8 weeks. At his age, that could be even more, but he admitted on social media that the deadlines for recovery he received in Melbourne are correct.
He will need to undergo treatments for three weeks and then do some more testing to see how the recovery is ongoing.
"Today, I have been at the Tecknon Tennis Clinic in Barcelona, where they have carried out some tests on me. The Melbourne results are confirmed, and the deadlines remain the same. Established the treatments to follow, and in 3 weeks, they will perform new tests to see the evolution."
The most likely timeline for Nadal could see him return at the Sunshine Double in March, even though things could change. Hip injuries are tough to manage, so his recovery might extend beyond that.