Rafael Nadal 'not 100% sure' about Australian Open 2024 appearance after 'similar' injury in Brisbane defeat

Rafael Nadal 's roaring comeback was halted on Friday evening in Queensland after the Spaniard was denied three match points in a thrilling encounter with Australia's Jordan Thompson in the quarterfinal round of the 2024 Brisbane International. But more than the loss, Nadal clutching his hip before going on a medical time out during the final set of the clash at the Pat Rafter Arena, was the more worrying factor with the Australian Open just around the corner.

The 22 time major winner later revealed that he may not be sure yet for the Melbourne trip, adding that the injury concerns are "similar" to what he had incurred last January. Spain's Rafael Nadal receives medical treatment for his hip during the third set of play against Australia's Jordan Thompson at their men's singles match during the Brisbane International tennis tournament in Brisbane on January 5(AFP) It was only on Sunday that Nadal marked his return to tour after being sidelined with a hip injury for almost 12 months.

After playing doubles alongside Marc Lopez, where the pair lost the opener, the 37 year old won back to back matches in the singles category with supreme dominance to make the quarters. In the three hour 15 minute marathon clash on Friday, Nadal had taken the opening set before standing on the cusp of making his first semifinals since Wimbledon 2022 but was denied thrice.

Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here ALSO READ: Carlos Alcaraz confirms Barcelona Open participation with Rafael Nadal encounter on cards However, during the third set, Nadal took a medical time out at 1 4 to receive treatment on his upper left leg. "I need to see how I wake up tomorrow morning," Nadal told reporters after his match against Thompson.

"These days, we have been discussing the positive things. That's why I am not overly positive when I have been talking. I have been talking with a lot of precaution because I know after a year it is difficult for the body to be playing tournaments at the highest level. "When the things are becoming more difficult, you don't know how your body is going to react.

I need to be open. Nothing changed for me. The way I approach everything didn't change at all. I need to accept everything how it comes. If things happen, if I have one problem there, one problem to the other part of the body, I need to accept it. It's a beginning, and I haven't played in a tournament for such a long time.

I hope to have the chance to be practising next week and to play in Melbourne [at the Australian Open]. Honestly, I am not 100% sure of anything now." Despite the worrying scenes on the Pat Rafter Arena that left world tennis concerned, the former world No. 1 played down the gravitas surrounding it, saying that although the pain was at the similar spot where he had incurred an injury a year back, it was more of a muscle pain due to consecutive matches, which included a tough quarterfinal clash.

"It's a very similar place to what happened last year, but different stuff, no? I feel more muscle. Last year was tendon. I felt that the muscle was tired," he said. It's not the same as last year at all because when that happened, I felt something drastic immediately. Today, I didn't feel anything.

The only problem is because the place is the same, you are a little bit more scared than usual. In an ideal world, it's just the muscle supercharged after a few days of effort and a very tough match. That will be the ideal thing, something that we know that can happen today. That is why my goal is to try to be competitive in a few months.

"A lot of things can happen in a body like mine after a year without playing tennis. So hopefully, it's just that, just a muscle that is supercharged. If that's the thing, everything is perfect." The Australian Open will begin on January 14, with the draw slated to be announced on January 11.

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