Rafael Nadal withdrew from the ATP-WTA Indian Wells Masters on Wednesday, abandoning plans to return after playing little in 2023 and playing just one tournament in January.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion has been plagued by injuries throughout his career, missing 11 major tournaments due to a series of problems with his knees, feet, ankles, abdomen and wrists.
AFP Sports considers Nadal's pain history as follows:
— Two years after his professional debut, Nadal experienced his first physical problem, injuring his elbow during practice and forcing him to withdraw from the French Open.
— Nadal, just 18 years old, missed the French Open and Wimbledon due to a broken foot.
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— In June, Nadal, who had already suffered his first loss at Roland Garros, suffered tendinitis in his knee and was denied the chance to defend the Wimbledon title he won in an epic final against Roger Federer 12 months earlier. Lost.
In September, Nadal admitted to playing with an abdominal tear and lost the US Open semifinals.
— Nadal will miss the Olympics, where he was the defending champion, due to tendinitis in his left knee. The Spanish star also missed the US Open due to a problem with his left knee.
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— Despite having back problems, Nadal fought to the Australian Open final in January, losing to Stan Wawrinka.
In July, he was forced to withdraw from the US Open due to a right wrist injury.
— Nadal had to withdraw from the French Open, where he has already won nine times, before the third round due to a left wrist injury.
— In August, Nadal ended his season early due to further problems with his left foot, explaining that he has been suffering from Muller-Weiss syndrome for years. This condition affects one of his leg bones and causes chronic pain. He will undergo surgery in September.
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Nadal defeated Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals at Indian Wells, but lost to Taylor Fritz in the final. He then missed several tournaments, including the Monte Carlo Masters, due to a cracked rib.
Throughout May and June, Nadal has endured burning pain in his left foot. After winning his 14th French Open title and 22nd Grand Slam title, he revealed that he had to have “anesthetic injections before each match” to keep his legs awake and play. Ta.
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“It's clear that I can't continue playing in these conditions and I don't want to continue playing,” Nadal said.
A few weeks later, Nadal suffered an abdominal tear in a fierce battle with Fritz in the last eight and had to withdraw from his much-anticipated Wimbledon semi-final match against Nick Kyrgios.
— In January, Nadal lost in the second round of the Australian Open, explaining that he was suffering from a hip injury. He expected to miss six to eight weeks on tour, but ultimately decided to end the season before undergoing surgery.
— After nearly a year on the sidelines, Nadal returned to action in Brisbane and made it to the final eight, but lost to Jordan Thompson. He was experiencing pain in his left thigh and an MRI scan revealed a “minor muscle tear.” He withdrew from the Australian Open and returned to Spain to consult his medical team.
— After playing an exhibition game against Carlos Alcaraz in Las Vegas, Nadal withdrew from his scheduled return to the ATP Tour at Indian Wells, saying he was not ready to return.