Rafael Nadal sustained a rib stress fracture just before the start of the clay season after a stunning start to 2022. Rafa returned to the court after recovering from an injury at the start of the year. The Spaniard kicked off his campaign by winning the Australian Open and lifting his 21st Grand Slam Title. He won 20 games in a row before sustaining a rib injury against Carlos Alcaraz in the Indian Wells semi-finals. He won the semi-finals and fought against Taylor Fritz during a discomforting Indian Wells finals. Unfortunately, Nadal had to face his first defeat of the season following a rib stress fracture.
Further, Rafael returned to Spain after the finals to meet with his medical team. The 21-time Grand Slam champ revealed that he would be out of action for four to six weeks. Luckily, Rafa seems to have recovered from his injury as he began practicing on the clay court on Monday. Recently, Nadal shared a couple of images from his practice session on his official Twitter account. The 35-year-old began his first soft training after being absent from the tennis court for four weeks.
Nadal Begins Soft Training, Likely To Make A Comeback At Madrid Masters
Rafael Nadal had his first soft training after almost four weeks since he was ruled out due to a stress fracture in one of his ribs. Fortunately, he is back on the court as he aims to get full preparation before the Rolland Garros. Nadal\’s injury could not have come at a worse time, just before the clay season was around the corner. He was forced to withdraw from the first clay tournaments of the season at Monte-Carlo and Barcelona.
An unforeseen injury knocked on Nadal\’s door after a dream start to the season. However, Nadal has been known for his fighting spirit and strong comebacks throughout his career. Rafa desperately needs some match practice to get his grip on the clay court and prepare for the Roland Garros. His rib injury has already hindered his scheduled preparation for the upcoming French Open.
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The King of Clay lost to Novak Djokovic last year at the Roland Garros finals. But now, he will be motivated to prevent world no. 1 from winning consecutive titles at the Roland Garros. Nadal has won 13 French Open titles in his career, and he will look to add one more to the tally in 2022. The Spaniard will hope to make a comeback at the Madrid Masters, which starts on May 1. Rafa has not confirmed his return to the court in Madrid. However, his team has not stated his withdrawal from Madrid either. Therefore, fans will most probably see Nadal participating in the Madrid Masters.
