Rafael Nadal set to to reveal if he will play in Monte-Carlo amid fresh injury scare
Doubts over Rafael Nadal’s participation in next week’s Monte-Carlo Masters tournament continue to be aired, with official confirmation expected to come from the Spaniard’s camp imminently.
Nadal has not played an ATP Tour event since making his comeback to tennis in a tournament in Brisbane in January.
Encouraging performances from the 22-time Grand Slam champion in that tournament fuelled the belief that he could return to somewhere near his best form after missing almost all of 2023 with a hip problem.
Yet Nadal has not played a competitive match since that event in Brisbane, as he pulled out of the Australian Open soon after losing against Australia’s Jordan Thompson.
Nadal was then due to play at the Qatar Open and pulled out of that event with a back problem, which also forced him to withdraw from the Indian Wells Masters.
Social media rumours have been swirling to suggest the 11-time Monte-Carlo champion may now be forced to pull out of next week’s edition of the tournament, with some suggesting he may also skip the tournament in Barcelona the following week.
There has been limited footage of Nadal practising in recent days, fuelling rumours that he may not be fully fit ahead of what he hopes to be the start of what could be his final season on his favourite clay surface.
READ MORE: Goran Ivanisevic gives honest verdict on Novak Djokovic’s relationship with Rafael Nadal
Now Nadal’s fans are waiting to hear if their hero will be ready to play only his second tournament of the year, with concerns over his back problem appearing to be lingering.
His frustration will inevitably grow if he is forced to miss another of his favourite events, with Nadal admitting his ambitions for this year have always been focused on this clay court swing and what he hoped would be an attempt to win a record-extending 15th French Open title.
“My priority goal, which is what I said from the beginning, is to get to the clay season as healthy as possible. I want to try to give myself the option to enjoy the clay season,” said Nadal last month.
“At this point in my career, I have to analyse how I am at every moment, the feelings I have and where I most want to play.
“I will try to do what is better to reach my goals with some chance. I want to do the things that I really want to be happy.
“How did I imagine my farewell? At first, I didn’t imagine it because you start to imagine something, which means that the closer you are to it. It wasn’t something I had in mind. I would like to say goodbye well, being competitive and enjoying myself on the court.
“Whether that can be or not, time will tell. It is evident that the months and weeks show me a path that is complicated. There are moments that are difficult to manage.”
