Rafael Nadal will miss the Madrid Open next week because his recovery from a hip injury is going much slower than expected.
The 22-time Grand Slam winner has been sidelined since January by a left hip flexor injury he picked up at the Australian Open. The issue has kept him from the Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Madrid tournaments.
“[This injury] was supposed to keep me out six to eight weeks, but I have been out 14,” Nadal said in Spanish in a message on Instagram on Thursday. “We have followed all the medical advice, but my recovery has not gone as they said it would, and now we find ourselves in a difficult situation.”
The Madrid Open, which Nadal has won five times, starts Monday.
The 36-year-old Nadal did not mention his prospects for the French Open, which starts May 28.
“The injury still hasn’t healed, and I can’t work out what I need to compete,” Nadal said. “I was training, but a few days ago we decided to change course a bit, do another treatment and see if things improve to try to get to what comes next.
“I can’t give deadlines because if I knew I would tell you but I don’t know. This is how things are now.”
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
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