Rafael Nadal sidelined for six weeks with rib injury as French Open match dented | Tennis News
Rafael Nadal complained of shortness of breath after losing the Indian Wells final; The Spaniard will be out for up to six weeks; “This is not good news and I did not expect it,” Nadal wrote on Twitter; The French Open, which Nadal has won 13 times, begins May 22
Last Updated: 03/22/22 2:48 pm
Rafael Nadal will be out for up to six weeks due to a broken rib injury, affecting preparations for the French Open at the end of May.
Nadal complained of shortness of breath during his 6-3 7-6 (7-5) loss to Taylor Fritz in Sunday’s Indian Wells final, which he initially sought treatment for in his previous semi-final win. Carlos Alcaraz.
The Spaniard claimed a record 21st Grand Slam singles title when he beat Daniil Medvedev at the Australian Open in January and was on a 20-game winning streak on the APT Tour until losing to Fritz in California.
Thirteen of Nadal’s 21 big wins have come at the French Open, with the 35-year-old winning Roland Garros four years in a row from 2017 to 2020 before losing to Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals in 2021.
This year’s Solution Open runs from May 22 to June 5.
Nadal will almost certainly miss the Monte-Carlo Masters and the Barcelona Open, tournaments he has won 11 and 12 respectively, and he could also be forced to sit out the Madrid Open in early May.
Nadal: This is not good news and I did not expect it
Writing on Twitter, Nadal said: “Hello everyone, I would like to announce that I have returned to Spain and have immediately gone to my medical team for post-match tests. Indian Wells finals that I competed in with an uncomfortable mentality.
“As it turned out, I had a stress fracture in one of my ribs and would have to take four to six weeks off. This is not good news and I wasn’t expecting it.”
Speaking after Sunday’s consecutive defeat to American Fritz, Nadal said: “It’s hard for me to breathe. When I try to breathe, it’s very painful and very uncomfortable.
“When I breathe, when I move, it’s like a needle going all the way through here. I’m a little dizzy from the pain.
“It’s a kind of pain that limits me a lot. It’s not just pain, I don’t feel well because it affects my breathing.”