Rafael Nadal withdraws from the Barcelona Open while recovering his physical form

Rafael Nadal will miss the Barcelona Open next week and will continue to improve his fitness following the hip injury he suffered at the Australian Open in January, the 22-time champion said on Friday. The Barcelona Open will start on April 15, Saturday.

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Rafael Nadal missed the Indian Wells and Miami tournaments, as well as the Monte Carlo Masters, after suffering an injury that ended his title defense at Melbourne Park when he lost in the second round to Mackenzie McDonald.

"I am still not ready and so I continue my preparation process for the return to competition." A 14-time Roland Garros champion hopes to regain full fitness for the clay-court "grand slam" that begins in May.

"Barcelona is a special tournament for me, because it's my adopted club and because playing at home is always a unique feeling. Good luck to my friend David Ferrer and his whole team for this edition, which will surely be a success at all levels." Rafael Nadal added.

Rafael Nadal hasn't played since Australian Open. He dropped numerous points and dropped out of the top 10 for the first time since April 2005. Rafael Nadal has 66 wins and 4 losses at Barcelona, ​​where he made his debut 20 years ago. He only suffered four defeats in one of his favorite tournaments.

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The Spaniard had three US Open victories before losing in the fourth round to Frances Tiafoe, which sidelined him for two months. In November, after a long break, Rafael Nadal failed to find the rhythm. He lost four consecutive matches for the first time since 2009! Rafa opted for a slack season, hoping for a fresh start in 2023. Instead, the Spaniard has only made four appearances this year. Rafa lost three and sealed his fate in the top 10 after Indian Wells. He dominated young Briton Jack Draper in the first round of the Australian Open and faced Mackenzie McDonald in the second.