20 April 2023 , 12:03
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Rafael Nadal is losing his battle to take part in the French Open after admitting his troublesome hip injury has still not healed.
The 14-time winner of the competition has stressed he "can’t work out what I need to do to compete" as the initial eight-week prognosis for his psoas problem has now stretched to 14 weeks without any improvement or solution.
Nadal, 36, sustained his injury at the Australian Open earlier this season back in January and could now be set to miss the next major tournament if he is unable to regain his fitness in time for the May 28 start date at Roland Garros.
He has already pulled out of the Madrid Open starting next week and has conceded he is unsure whether he will make the French Open in just over five weeks' time.
“It has been a difficult few weeks and months,” Nadal said. “As you know, I suffered a major injury in Australia, in the psoas (muscle). Initially, it had to be a six to eight week recovery period and we are now on 14. The reality is that the situation is not what we would have expected.
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“All medical indications have been followed but somehow the evolution has not been what they initially told us and we find ourselves in a difficult situation.
“The weeks are passing and I had the illusion of being able to play in tournaments that are the most important in my career such as Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Madrid, Rome, Roland Garros, and for the moment I have missed Monte Carlo and Barcelona. I will not be able to be in Madrid, unfortunately.
Nadal has struggled to recover from the hip injury he suffered at the Australian Open (AFP via Getty Images)“The injury still hasn’t healed and I can’t work out what I need to do to compete. I was training but now a few days ago we decided to change course a bit, do another treatment and see if things improve to try to get to what comes next.”
Nadal is virtually unrivalled on the clay courts at Roland Garros and won last year's final in straight sets with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 victory over Casper Ruud. That was his last triumph at a Grand Slam after falling short at the US Open before dropping out of last year's Wimbledon ahead of the semi-finals due to injury.
The Spaniard was expected to come into this season fit and firing but his campaign has been dogged with his hip problem and there appears no immediate end in sight.
“I can’t give deadlines because if I knew I would tell you but I don’t know. This is how things are now," Nadal added.
“I have no choice but to try to have the right attitude throughout this time, try to give myself the opportunity to compete in one of the tournaments that remains of the clay season and I have no choice but to work and be with the right mentality.”