RAFAEL NADAL: Due to injury, what happens after the 22-time Grand Slam winner exits the Australian Open?

CNN
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pictures from Rafael Nadal Making his way off the court due to injury has become an all too familiar sight for tennis fans.

Nadal’s defense Australian Open The title ended prematurely on Wednesday, as he was a 22-time Grand Slam champion Eliminated in the second round by American Mackenzie McDonald.

Nadal had been struggling with what appeared to be a groin injury throughout the match, and at one point in the second set made a hard recovery from severe pain, before eventually needing treatment.

Nadal said on Thursday that an MRI scan showed the hip injury could keep him out of competition for up to two months.

“I did some medical after the loss yesterday,” Nadal said he said in a tweet. “MRI showed I have a grade 2 injury to my left iliopsoas. Now comes some relief from exercise and anti-inflammatory physiotherapy. Normal recovery time is 6 to 8 weeks.”

It’s a testament to Nadal’s remarkable tenacity and willpower – characteristics that have come to define him and his incredible career – that he refused to withdraw from Wednesday’s match, instead opting to remain limping through to the end.

Such is the Spaniard’s determination and apparent pain tolerance, it somehow made the match a tough contest for MacDonald, who eventually won 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 in two hours and 32 minutes.

Cameras in the tunnel filmed Nadal looking emotional as he returned to the locker room after the match, defiantly saying later that quitting was never on his mind.

“I didn’t want to retire [as] The defending hero is here. “I didn’t want to leave the court in retirement,” Nadal told reporters.

“It’s better like this in the end. Lost, nothing to say, congratulations [my] Discount. This is the sport at the same time – just do your best till the end.”

This new injury is the latest in a long list that has hampered Nadal throughout his career. With the 36-year-old’s father’s date gradually approaching, Nadal’s injury problems have become more frequent over the past two years.

He won his first two major tournaments of 2022 – the Australian Open and the French Open – in stunning fashion and was playing some impressive tennis at Wimbledon before an abdominal injury cut short his bid for a third consecutive major title.

Injuries to his knees, elbows, left foot and wrist have been a constant handicap for Nadal and his recent injury troubles seem to have affected his performance on the tennis court, with the world No. 2 picking up just one more win than his predecessor. Six matches.

Former British tennis player Laura Robson, who won Junior Wimbledon at just 14 years old, has had a promising career plagued by injuries and understands not only the physical toll it takes, but also the mental fortitude needed to continue to recover.

“Most likely for Rafa, as it was for me, it’s just a constant feeling of being on your back foot, trying to do as much training as possible but constantly dealing with issues in your body and not being able to train at the level that you are,” said Robson, now a tennis commentator. want to stick to it CNN SportAmanda Davies.

“A lot of things have happened in the last 18 months or so, until last summer I went back to Wimbledon where he was playing some excellent tennis after having amazing performances in Australia and in Paris [for the French Open] He is a deep slam dunk[dominal] gives way.

Here we are again, six months later, and he’s dealing with another case in the same field. It sounded like a hip problem to me, but these things happen and unfortunately some people are more susceptible than others, it’s just a matter of how you deal with it.

“He’s done an incredible job so far with handling in his career, so I have no doubt he’ll come back better than ever. He just needs a little time.”

In fact, as Robson points out, Nadal has overcome so many injuries during his career that only makes his all-time record of 22 Grand Slams even more impressive.

As with any aging sports star, questions of retirement inevitably begin to swirl as form diminishes or injuries become more prevalent.

For his part, Nadal was optimistic after his second-round defeat and insisted that the “R” word was not on his mind.

For now, he insists, his lifelong love of the sport outweighs the desire to hang up his racket.

“It’s very simple: I love what I do,” Nadal told reporters, via ESPN. “I love playing tennis and I know it won’t last forever. I like to feel competitive. I like to fight for the things I’ve been fighting for almost half my life.

“When you love to do one thing, in the end, sacrifices always make sense, because ‘sacrifice’ isn’t the word for it. When you’re doing things you love to do, at the end of the day, that’s not a sacrifice. You’re doing the things you want to do.”

While injuries are undoubtedly frustrating – Nadal admitted he felt “mentally devastated” after the latest setback – he’s been here many times before and knows better than most what it takes to get back.

As a longtime friend and rival Roger Federer Doing so towards the end of his career, strategically selecting major tournaments and tournaments and choosing him to compete in may be an option to increase Nadal’s longevity.

The French Open, Nadal’s favorite tournament and a title he’s won an astonishing 14 times, is the next major tournament on the tennis calendar and if he can shake off his recent injuries, the Spaniard is likely to remain the favorite to win those four Grand Slams come the end of May.

Nadal has answered questions about his retirement for some time now and did so again on Wednesday, but Robson believes stars like the 22-time Grand Slam champion should be allowed to broach the subject on their own terms and at their own time.

“I don’t like to talk about anyone’s retirement until they talk about it themselves,” Robson said.

“He’ll be the first to bring it up and I think he deserves it. He’s given so much over the years to the sport and he’s still getting himself out there, still trying, still competing to the best of his ability even when he’s not 100% physical.”

“We’ve been through it many times before with Andy [Murray]with Roger [Federer]with Venus W Serena [Williams] On the part of women, trying to retire these myths before they are ready to go. In the end, it’s up to him. When he feels right, he will be right.

“I don’t think we need to constantly speculate about when that will happen. If today is the last day in Australia, who knows, and if it is, we’re lucky to have him here again, and if not, great, we’ll see him next year.”