Rafael Nadal absent “from four to six weeks”, one tile before the Paris tournament

In exactly two months, on May 22, the Roland-Garros tournament will begin. And Rafael Nadal, looking for a 14th Porte d’Auteuil victory, will not approach this edition in the best way. Injured, the Spaniard is off for “four to six weeks”, as he indicated on social networks on Tuesday.

Hola todos, quería anunciaros qu’il vulto a España y toi enseguida a visitar mi equipo médico par hacerme las pruebas tras la finale de Indian Wells que jugué con molestias.

— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) March 22, 2022

Nadal returned to Spain after playing in and losing the final of the ATP 1000 tournament in Indian Wells, California. The now world No. 3, who remained on 20 consecutive successes, lost to the American Taylor Fritz in a match that he played very diminished. The 35-year-old Mallorcan has been suffering from a fatigue crack in his rib since the hard-won semi-final the day before against his young compatriot Carlos Alcaraz.

Nadal talks about his “struggle spirit”

“I am devastated and sad because after such a good start to the season, I arrived at a very important moment of the year with very good feelings and good results”, regretted Nadal, while evoking his “spirit of struggle and overcoming.

The master of clay will miss the tournaments in Monte-Carlo (April 10-17), Barcelona (April 18-24), perhaps also Madrid (May 1 and 8). If the recovery times are respected, he could return to Rome (May 8-15) before playing Roland-Garros. Complicated but not impossible for the only man to have won 21 Majors, the last this winter in Australia after five months of absence, between foot injury and Covid contamination.