Rafael Nadal will not play at the Australian Open after suffering an injury during his quarterfinal defeat to Jordan Thompson at the Brisbane International on Friday, he announced in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. The Brisbane International had marked the start of Nadal’s long-awaited injury comeback, as he intensified his preparations ahead of the Australian Open and his return to grand slam action after almost a year away from the court. He had not played since last year’s Australian Open and underwent hip surgery in June which ruled him out for the rest of the 2023 calendar. After Nadal announced his withdrawal from the Australian Open on Sunday, his compatriot Carlos Alcaraz commented on Instagram, “We’ll be waiting for you at the next tournament Rafa! Get well soon!”The Australian Open commented, “All our love, Rafa,” while the French Open – the grand slam Nadal has won a record 14 times – said “Take care Rafa.”The Australian Open begins on January 14.

Source: CNN January 07, 2024 17:06 UTC