Nadal Out Of Action For 8 Weeks After Hip Injury

1 year ago
1 min read

Spanish tennis superstar Rafael Nadal is set to miss six to eight weeks of tennis action after picking up a hip flexor injury during his shock second-round exit at the 2023 Australian Open on Thursday.

This piece of information was provided by the player’s management team.

The 22-time major champion was unable to defend his crown at Melbourne Park despite heading to the tournament as the top seed and was eliminated by American world No.65 Mackenzie McDonald in straight sets.

The 36-year-old Spaniard, ranked world No.2, admitted he was ‘destroyed mentally’ as he suffered his earliest Grand Slam exit in seven years as his wife Maria was spotted crying in the stands.

READ ALSO: Australian Open: Nadal Guns For 21st Grand Slam Title In Sunday’s Final

Nadal has now provided an update on his nasty muscle tear injury and is set for up to eight weeks on the sidelines according to the prognosis on the injury – making him a doubt for Indian Wells at the start of March – although he will be able to return in time for the French Open.

“He will be resting once back in Spain and will start with anti-inflammatory physiotherapy,’’ Nadal’s team said in a statement with the tennis legend not due to come back to the ATP Tour until sometime in March.

“The normal time estimated for a complete recuperation is between six and eight weeks,” the statement from his team read.

The statement follows an MRI scan Nadal had on his left leg on Thursday which revealed the grade two injury in his iliopsoas muscle.

Nadal, speaking after his Australian Open exit, revealed that he did not want to retire through injury during his second-round defeat to McDonald.

‘‘I can’t say that I’m not destroyed mentally at this time because I will be lying,’’ Nadal said, adding: ‘’It’s hard for me.

“I considered it all the time, stopping. I just wanted to finish the match. That’s it. I didn’t want to retire, to be the defending champion here.

‘’I didn’t want to leave the court with a retirement. I have been a couple of days like this [with injury]. But nothing like today in that movement.’’

Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.

In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.

He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.

Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.

He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.

Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).

He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.

Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.

Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.

In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.

He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.

Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.

He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.

Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).

He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.

Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.


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