Despite showing signs of his old self, Rafael Nadal crashed out of the Brisbane International at the hands of home favourite Jordan Thompson at the quarter-final stage. More concerning than his early exit was the fact that the Spaniard seemed to be carrying something in the second and third sets, sparking rumours about his participation in the Australian Open 2024 later in the month. (More Tennis News)
Speaking to the media, Nadal provided a disparaging update to his fans, stating that he does not know the extent of his injury yet.
"I don't know. I hope to have the chance to be practising next week and to play Melbourne," said Nadal after his loss to Thompson on Friday, January 5, 2024.
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"Honestly, I am not 100% sure of anything now. Then, the next couple of days, let's see how I feel. If I don't feel well, then we are going to do a test and we are going to check it.
"I feel the muscle tired. It is not the same like last year at all because when it happened last year, I felt something drastic immediately. Here I didn't feel anything."
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The Spaniard had returned to the court after sitting out for almost a year due to an injury he had sustained in the same parishes earlier. Speaking about the mental impact of his afflictions he candidly claimed that the repetition of the same event has scared him more than usual.
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"The only problem is, because the place is the same, you are a little bit more scared than usual. In an ideal world, it is just the muscle supercharged after a few days of effort and a very tough match," Nadal said.
"I have been taking a lot of precaution because I know, after a year, it is difficult for the body to be playing tournaments at the highest level. When things are becoming more difficult, you don't know how your body is going to react."
Injury concerns aside, Nadal will consider his return to competitive action a positive step in his efforts to end his career on a high. He had earlier beaten Dominic Thiem and Jason Kubler easily, confirming his status as one of the best players in the sport in the world, even if his 672nd ranking at present fails to reflect the same.
