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Rafael Nadal will miss the Barcelona Open next week, as anticipated, as he recovers from a fractured rib incurred in the semi-finals of Indian Wells last month.
The 35-year-old had previously withdrawn from this week's Monte-Carlo Masters, which he has won 11 times. He earned a record 21st Grand Slam championship at the Australian Open in January. His record in Barcelona is much better, with 12 triumphs, but Nadal will not compete despite the tournament's announcement.
The Spaniard will try to win for a record 14th time in Rolland-Garros
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Given the early diagnosis of four to six weeks, Nadal's absence from both events is unsurprising. If he is fit enough to return after six weeks, he may play in the Madrid Masters, which starts on May 2. The following week, the Rome Masters will take place. Nevertheless, Nadal's clay-court season has been cut short. It gives others a chance to get a leg up on him ahead of Roland-Garros, where the Spaniard will attempt to win a record 14th time.
Read more: Every Rafael Nadal's French Open stats that you should know about
Novak Djokovic returns to the Monte-Carlo Masters this week for only his second tournament of the year. He has a chance to reassert his dominance before defending his championship in Paris.
Rafael Nadal will hope to play at least one of Madrid and Rome
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As he seeks to arrive in Paris in excellent form, Nadal will hope to play at least one of Madrid and Rome. Nadal has only failed to win a Masters 1000 on clay in the build-up to his 13 Roland-Garros titles: in 2015, when he lost in the quarter-finals in Paris, and in 2020, when he won the Roland-Garros for the record 13th time.
He does, however, prefer to play as much clay as possible before going to Paris. He has only played four or five clay events prior to Roland-Garros, with the exception of 2020, so he'll surely want to play one, or preferably both, of Madrid and Rome, the latter of which he won 12 months ago for his 10th victory in the Italian city.