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The second clay court Masters event of the 2023 season is right around the corner. For those who haven’t followed the ATP calendar closely, the Madrid Open is the next event in the clay court series of this level. Of course, it’s a 1000-level event, and this time around, it falls between the dates of April 26th and May 7th. Like many other Masters events this season, as you can see from the dates, the tournament length has been extended compared to previous seasons.
Anyway, putting dates aside, I have some breaking news to share with you all today. Over the last 24 hours, the news that none of us wanted to see has been confirmed. Rafael Nadal has announced his withdrawal from the 2023 Madrid Open. This comes following his withdrawal from Monte Carlo – the first of the three Masters 1000 clay court events. And with Roland Garros just weeks away, things aren’t looking all that great for the king of clay, even if he is on the Roland Garros entry list.
As you might recall, Nadal’s injury was sustained back at the 2023 Australian Open during his second-round match. The initial prognosis was that it would be 6-8 weeks until the 22-time Grand Slam champion would be fit to return to the tour. But unfortunately, his recovery isn’t going as smoothly as he’s hoped. Bear in mind that he is now in the 14th week of his recovery and subsequent absence from the ATP Tour.
I am sure that this must be agonizing for Nadal, his team, and his fans. Although to give you some of the main comments from his withdrawal announcement, I’d like to share those with you now.
Nadal Withdraws From Madrid Open 2023 – Key Comments Made
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Rafael Nadal made a social media video to announce his withdrawal from this event. And having watched the video, it’s clear that he just doesn’t feel like his body is ready for the kind of punishment it will take on the clay. However, rather than give my own opinion on the matter, I’d prefer to give you the main comments made by Nadal. So here they are:
Injury Still Hasn’t Healed
Of course, for a man who is at this point in his career, remaining fit and healthy is of paramount importance. Then again, this is the case for all players, but even more so for a guy who is now 36 years of age. On that note, one of the key comments he made was that the injury ‘hasn’t healed’. While we cannot read too much into the scale of this statement, it shows that he isn’t 100% fit or ready to compete yet.
Cannot Work on What He Needs to in Training
Naturally, with Nadal enjoying significant success on clay courts throughout his career, this is the time of the year when he wants to peak. However, in order to be at your best, you need to practice plenty of things. This includes on-court drills, physical fitness, and many other things too. But since Nadal has stated that he cannot cover what he needs to, mainly because of the injury, he obviously won’t be able to get to his best.
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