Rafael Nadal Falls Outside Of Top 200 For First Time Since 2002

| by Nurein Ahmed

Former ATP No. 1 Rafael Nadal suffered a massive ranking fall following the conclusion of the 2023 US Open, dropping outside the world's Top 200 for the first time in 21 years.

The Spanish legend hasn't played on the ATP Tour since a meek, second-round defeat to Mackenzie McDonald at this year's Australian Open. After that match, Nadal confirmed that he suffered a hip injury from that match and was expected to miss up to eight weeks.

In March the Spanish lefty exited the world's Top 10 for the first time since 2005, having accumulated an astonishing 912 weeks inside that exclusive band. One of the most remarkable tennis feats that defined Rafael Nadal's career as the benchmark for longevity and dedication.

However, even for a player who had previously turned back time, it looked like he was running out of it. Weeks of no competition gradually turned into months, with Nadal declaring a spate of withdrawals in subsequent tournaments on his beloved clay.

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Tennis fans feared for his career when he confirmed he would miss Roland Garros and undergo surgery in one of his toughest press conferences on the eve of the tournament when he publicly announced his intention to play one more season on Tour before retiring.

The injury was a lot more serious than the initial diagnosis in Melbourne, and the Spaniard eventually had a successful arthroscopic surgery done on the left psoas tendon in early June. It was in the same month he also exited the world's Top 100 for the first time in 20 years.

After spending weeks in rehab, Nadal went for a well-deserved vacation and was spotted by fans in Greece. He formally began training at the Rafael Nadal Academy in the past month and was pictured running on a treadmill with his former longtime coach and uncle Toni Nadal engaging him in constant dialogue.

This week, Nadal finds himself outside the world's Top 200 after the 2023 US Open came to a conclusion (losing 180 points). His ranking dipped to No. 239, his lowest such raking since November 2002. Recently, his uncle gave an interview about his expected return date. Toni admits if Nadal's recovery goes as planned, he might return at the 2024 Australian Open.

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Rafael Nadal's Uncle Toni Pinpoints 2024 Australian Open As Return Date For Nephew

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