Nadal out 4-6 weeks with rib injury, halting French Open preparation
13-time champ suffered stress fracture on left rib during semifinal win at Indian Wells
Rafael Nadal will be sidelined four to six weeks because of a rib injury, putting in jeopardy his preparations for the French Open in two months.
The winner of 21 Grand Slam singles titles, Nadal complained of a chest issue during his run to the final of the ATP 1000 event in Indian Wells, Calif. last week.
The 35-year-old said Tuesday he underwent exams after arriving in Spain from the United States and results showed he has a stress fracture on one of his left ribs.
Nadal's injury occurred during his three-set semifinal victory over teenaged compatriot Carlos Alcaraz, but he still played Sunday's final, losing in two sets to American Taylor Fritz, his first loss in the season after 20 consecutive wins.
Nadal had said he was not sure what exactly caused the discomfort, saying it was "painful" and "very uncomfortable" when he tried to breathe.
"This is not good news and I didn't expect it," he wrote on Twitter. "I'm devastated and sad because it comes after a great start to the season."
The French Open, the year's second major at Roland Garros where Nadal has won a record 13 titles, is scheduled to start May 22.
Questionable for Monte Carlo, Barcelona Open
The third-ranked Nadal lost to eventual champion Novak Djokovic in the semifinals of last year's tournament in Paris.
Nadal's participation at the Madrid Open at the end of April will likely depend on how his recovery progresses. The Spaniard is a five-time champion in Madrid. He is not likely to play in the Monte Carlo Masters and the Barcelona Open next month.
Nadal had already decided to skip this week's tournament in Florida and head home to Spain to prepare for the clay-court season.
Nadal started the 2022 season unprepared and with uncertainty looming over him due to a foot problem that forced him to miss a chunk of the 2021 season including Wimbledon, the Olympics and the U.S. Open.
After suffering a bout of COVID-19 before arriving in Melbourne in January, Nadal said he had even considered retiring when the foot problem that has troubled him throughout his career resurfaced last year.
But that did not stop the left-hander from winning three consecutive titles earlier this year, including the Australian Open that helped him to increase his major haul to 21 and take sole ownership of the men's record he had previously shared with Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.
WATCH | Nadal wins Australian Open for 21st Grand Slam title:
