Nadal's Australian Open Withdrawal Brings An End To A Remarkable Streak
After spending months preparing for his return, Rafael Nadal will sadly not play at the 2024 Australian Open because of injury.
The Spaniard shared the gutwrenching news on his social media platforms that he was pulling out from the year's first Grand Slam despite his initial optimistic take about the injury he picked up during his comeback tournament in Brisbane.
Nadal, who spent the last 12 months out of action due to a hip injury, suffered a muscle tear unrelated to the same spot he hurt himself at last year's Australian Open. The damage ensued during a three-set defeat to Jordan Thompson in the Brisbane quarterfinal, where he wasted three match points.
Before that, Nadal had shown signs of life on his return, and onlookers felt that he could challenge for the Australian Open after scoring wins over Dominic Thiem and Jason Kubler and looking extremely competitive in practice sessions with the likes of Holger Rune and Andy Murray.
Nadal was quick to calm down expectations, and even his coach predicted it was unlikely for him to reach peak level until April at the earliest. Recent MRI scans have thrown those plans out of the window as a fresh setback has forced the 37-year-old into an early flight home.
Nadal's absence at the Australian Open is unusual because he has only missed two editions of the tournament since he made his debut back in 2004. Remarkably, the 2024 Australian Open will mark the end of an era.
It will be the first time since 1999 that either Nadal or his longtime rival Roger Federer will not play in the Australian Open. Before his retirement in 2022, Federer was regular fixture in Melbourne, playing in a record 21 successive Australian Opens between 2000 and 2020.
The duo, widely considered among the greatest to play the sport, account for a combined eight titles. Federer is the second most successful man in Australian Open history, winning it on six occasions, while Nadal memorably won it on two occasions, most recently in 2022.
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