ATP World Number 2 Rafael Nadal is set to miss between six to eight weeks after picking up a grade 2 left hip flexor injury. Nadal suffered this injury during his Australian Open second-round loss to Mackenzie McDonald.
It was announced on Thursday that Nadal could miss up to eight weeks of action after an MRI scan revealed the extent of his injury. This means that the reigning Australian Open champion could likely miss the ATP 500 events in Dubai and Acapulco, however, he may be fit in time to participate at Indian Wells and Miami in early March.
Nadal was injured during the second set of his match against McDonald as he overstretched himself while attempting to reach for a ball. Although Nadal decided to continue the game after seeking treatment after the second set, he went down in the third, losing the match 6-4 6-4 7-5.
“Sometimes it’s difficult to accept,” Nadal said following his latest in a series of similar injuries. “Sometimes you feel super tired about all this stuff in terms of injuries.”
The Spaniard suffered a similar injury back in the 2018 Australian Open when he lost his quarterfinal match with Marin Cilic.
