Rafael Nadal has not played since January 18 at the Australian Open (Picture: Getty)
Rafael Nadal is set to undergo surgery to help him return from his long-term injury issues as retirement looms for one of the greatest players of all time.
The 36-year-old has not played since January 18 due to a nasty hip flexor injury and recently confirmed that 2024 is likely to be his final year before retirement.
His injuries ruled him out of this year’s French Open – where he was hoping to return – and he’s set to miss ‘the next few months’, including Wimbledon.
Nadal has previously said that he will look to return to action later this year for the Davis Cup and according to new reports in Spain he will undergo an arthroscopy on the iliopsoas of his left leg.
‘The hip injury that I picked up in Australia has not improved how I would have liked,’ Nadal said last month.
‘We’ve been working really hard every day to try and make it better and towards certain goals, but ultimately I won’t be able to play at Roland Garros.
‘After many years playing there, you can imagine how much of a difficult decision it’s been for me. This isn’t a decision I’ve made, it’s a decision my body has made. I’m not going to be playing for the next few months.
‘2024 is probably going to be my last year on the professional Tour. My motivation is to try and enjoy and say goodbye to all the tournaments that have been important to me.
‘I’ve not been able to enjoy my daily training. I’m not going to go to the practice courts for a while, so I’m going to stop, maybe for one month, two, three or four. I don’t know.
‘It might be a goal to try and play in the Davis Cup at the end of the year if I’m feeling good and also the captain considers me good enough. My hope is that I’ll return when I feel ready physically and I suppose, mentally.
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‘I want to give myself the opportunity to compete again. 2024 might be my last year but after that nobody knows what might happen.
‘I’ll try to do my best to compete at the highest level and do everything in my power so that next year I can try and win tournaments.
‘I want to be thankful for all the good things that have happened to me. I can’t keep demanding more and more from my body because there will be a time when my body says ‘That’s enough’… It will be a hard process [to return] and will require a lot of effort.’
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He will undergo an arthroscopy…
