The Spaniard has remained coy on when he would return from his Australian Open injury.
riley morgan
Rafa Nadal has hit back at reports he will be making a return at the Monte Carlo Masters, with the Spaniard claiming he doesn’t know when he will be ready. Nadal has not played a match since his brutal exit at the Australian Open in January, which saw him limp out in the second round.
The Spaniard was in pain during his exit as he soldiered on in order to leave on his own terms as defending champion. Nadal suffered a hip flexor injury during the loss and announced he would be sitting out for 6-8 weeks to recover.
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However, Nadal missed Indian Wells and the Miami Open after remaining in his home town to practice on clay ahead of Roland Garros. The Monte Carlo Masters director recently gave a hint that Nadal would return at his event, claiming the World No.13 was one of the first players to sign-up for the Masters 1000 event.
“Rafa was the first [player] to be registered,” tournament director David Massey said. “He really wants to play at the Monte Carlo Masters and is giving himself every chance to take part in the tournament he’s so fond of.”
The tournament also sent out a tweet to confirm Nadal’s entry into the clay-court event, which sparked excitement within the tennis world. But despite plenty of practice videos surfacing of Nadal training with intensity on clay, the Spaniard has never confirmed his participation in Monte Carlo or when he is planning to return.
In a surprising twist, Nadal told Spanish publication Marca that he was not sure if he would be ready in time for the Monte Carlo event. “I don’t know who gets this information,” Nadal told Marca. “Obviously if it were true, I would confirm it, but unfortunately I can’t. I’m following my course and I don’t know when I’ll play again, that’s the truth.
“I’m in a phase of increasing work. If I knew when I was going to return, I would say so, but I don’t know. I can’t confirm that I will play in Monte Carlo, things are seen day by day. I prefer to say things when I really know them.” This left fans surprised, with many expecting the Spaniard to line-up on April 8 for the first time in nearly three months.