Nadal injured 12 times in Australia

Former world number one Rafael Nadal has had bad luck in the land of kangaroos, with 12 injuries before, during and after the Australian Open.

Nadal's first injury in Australia was in the quarter-final match in Melbourne against Fernando Gonzalez in 2007. He suffered a hamstring injury and lost in three straight sets. Three years later, Nadal retired from his first Australian Open semi-final due to a torn right knee, conceding his place in the final to Andy Murray.

Nadal struggles to save the ball during the Brisbane International quarter-final against Jordan Thompson on January 5. He left Australia shortly afterwards with a torn muscle. Photo: ATP

Between 2012 and 2023, the "King of Clay" suffered nine more injuries at events in Australia. Of these, Nadal's most regretful was the 2014 Australian Open final against Stan Wawrinka. He suffered a back injury mid-match and lost in four sets, missing his second chance to lift the trophy.

Nadal has climbed to 451st place in the ATP rankings thanks to the 50 points he earned at the Brisbane International last week. But he will soon drop out of the top 600 after being docked 45 points at the Australian Open. That is also the position Nadal will have when the 2023 season ends.

Nadal’s lack of seeding in the upcoming events will leave him with a difficult schedule. He will not be exempt from the first round of the clay-court season in Monte Carlo, Madrid, Barcelona and Rome amid ongoing injury concerns. Nadal was originally scheduled to play the US hard-court season in March, but is likely to withdraw to treat a torn muscle.

Former world number two Alex Corretja believes Nadal will be fine on clay. "Nadal's injury is not surprising because his muscles have been out all year. If Nadal recovers quickly, his mentality will be fine. He will somehow realise that he can still compete if he is physically fit. Nadal will feel more comfortable on clay than on hard courts," he said.

Vy Anh

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