Rafa Nadal (pictured) has hit back at reports he will return at the Monte Carlo Open after admitting he doesn’t know his return date. (Images: Twitter/Getty Images)
Rafa Nadal has hit back at reports He will return at the Monte Carlo Masters with the Spaniard claiming he doesn’t know when he will be ready. Nadal has not played a match since his brutal exit from the Australian Open in January, which saw him eliminated in the second round.
The Spaniard felt pain at his exit as he moved on to go on his own terms as the defending champion. Nadal suffered a hip flexor injury during the loss and announced he would sit out 6-8 weeks to recover.
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However, Nadal missed Indian Wells and the Miami Open after staying in his hometown to train on clay ahead of Roland Garros. The director of the Monte Carlo Masters recently gave a hint that Nadal would be returning to his event, claiming the world No. 13 was one of the first players to register for the Masters 1000 event.
“Rafa was the first [player] tournament director David Massey. “He is dying to play in the Monte Carlo Masters and is giving himself every chance to play in the tournament he loves so much.”
The tournament also sent out a tweet to confirm Nadal’s entry into the clay-court event, causing a stir in the tennis world. But despite many practice videos showing Nadal’s intense training on clay, the Spaniard has never confirmed his participation in Monte Carlo or his planned return.
In a surprising twist, Nadal told the Spanish publication brand that he wasn’t sure if he would be ready in time for the Monte Carlo event. “I don’t know who gets this information,” Nadal told Marca. “Of course, if it were true, I would confirm it, but unfortunately I can’t. I’m following my course and I don’t know when I’ll play again, that’s the truth.
“I am in a phase of increasing work. If I knew when I would be back I would say so, but I don’t know. I cannot confirm that I will play in Monte Carlo, things are looking from day to day. I prefer to say things when I really know them.” This surprised fans as many were expecting the Spaniard to compete for the first time in almost three months on April 8.
The story goes on
While Nadal is unable to confirm his participation, Novak Djokovic is on the entry list and will be making his second appearance on the tour since his Australian Open win. Djokovic has only lost once this year – at the Dubai Tennis Championship.
However, Djokovic could not enter the United States to compete in Indian Wells or the Miami Open. But he will surely watch the Monte Carlo event after beating Nadal in the final in 2013.
Rafael Nadal (pictured) has not played a match since exiting the Australian Open. (Photo by Bai Xuefei/Xinhua via Getty Images)
Rafa Nadal falls to lowest ranking since 2005
While the Spaniard seems in no rush to return to recover from his injury, Nadal has dropped to his lowest rank since entering the top 10 in 2005. Nadal officially fell out of the top 10 rankings for the first time in 18 years after retiring from Indian Wells.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion has not been outside the top 10 rankings since winning the Barcelona Open in 2005 when he was 18. His incredible streak broke tennis star Jimmy Connors’ previous record of 789 weeks in the top 10. Nadal has been in the top 10 for 912 consecutive weeks.
He only sits as Martina Navratilova, who spent an incredible 1,000 weeks at the top of women’s football. Nadal did not participate in the 2022 Monte Carlo Open due to injury. He has won the tournament a record eleven times.
Remarkably, Nadal’s absence from the top 10 is compounded with another Spanish sensation Carlos Alcaraz regains world No. 1 ranking. The 19-year-old missed the Australian Open through injury but returned to the tour with a 16-1 record. He has won two trophies including Indian Wells and is currently in the quarterfinals of the Miami Open.
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Source : au.sports.yahoo.com