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Rafael Nadal’s Comeback Cut Short at Australian Open

He withdrew from the tournament because of an injury.

Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the Australian Open after being injured in his first tournament in a year.

Nadal, who had hip surgery in June, underwent an MRI after experiencing pain while playing in the Brisbane International, and it showed a small muscle tear.

The 37-year-old is flying back to Spain for treatment instead of playing in the Open a week from now.

“Right now I am not ready to compete at the maximum level,” he said in a post on X, adding that the tear is not in the same spot where he had the surgery.

“That’s good news,” he said.

“I have worked very hard during the year for this comeback and as I always mentioned my goal is to be at my best level in 3 months,” he said. “Within the sad news for me for not being able to play in front of the amazing Melbourne crowds, this is not very bad news and we all remain positive with the evolution for the season.”