Rafael Nadal given harsh reality check following latest injury setback

Rafael Nadal has been told the harsh truth after pulling out of next week’s Barcelona Open. The world No 15 hasn’t played a match since getting injured in January and has instead continued to delay his comeback, with time running out before the French Open. Express Sport tennis fans have now given Nadal a brutal reality check, claiming that he has reached his “physical limit”.

Nadal is currently dealing with his fourth injury problem in the last 13 months after hurting his leg during his Australian Open second-round defeat. It comes after the Spaniard dealt with problems in his rib, foot and abdomen during the 2022 season and barely played after pulling out of his Wimbledon semi-final.

The 36-year-old managed to work around his physical woes at the start of last year, winning the Australian Open after a six-month injury layoff. He then lifted a 14th French Open crown while using numbing injections on his problematic foot. But he has been less successful at managing the issues this season.

It has led Express Sport readers to make a damning decision, as 67 per cent voted that they were worried Nadal had reached his “physical limit”. Nadal himself revealed that he did not yet believe he could return without the fear of picking up another injury when he made a statement about his Monte Carlo withdrawal almost two weeks ago.

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“I am still not ready to compete without the risk of getting injured. I will continue the process of getting ready to come back,” the former world No 1 said at the time, later going on to pull out of Barcelona. Nadal’s recent withdrawals have also sparked fears that he could also be forced to miss the French Open.

There are now just two events that he could play to get some matches under his belt before the clay-court Grand Slam – the Masters in Madrid and Rome. There have already been reports that Nadal will skip Madrid and if his woes continue, he could be forced to miss the French Open when it starts on May 28.

And 56 per cent of Express Sport readers have already admitted that Nadal’s absence would “ruin” the French Open for them, was he unable to play his most successful event. The Spaniard is a 14-time champion at the event and is currently tied on the overall men’s singles Grand Slam title record with Novak Djokovic.

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Fans have been hoping that the pair could do battle in Paris with a historic 23rd Major title on the line. Djokovic himself told reporters that he wanted to face Nadal at the French Open all the way back in February.

“I would like to meet in the Roland Garros final, if I could choose, I believe we would both sign it now,” he said. But it remains to be seen whether Nadal can recover in time to be “competitive” at the French Open – a wish he previously shared.

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