Rafael Nadal said Thursday he will miss the Madrid Masters tournament later this month as he continues his recovery from a hip injury, a significant blow to his French Open preparations.
The 36-year-old Spaniard has not played since losing in the second round of the Australian Open in January.
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Nadal is hoping for a record-extending 15th French Open title at Roland Garros in May, but his hip flexor problem he suffered in Melbourne has badly disrupted his run up to the tournament.
The 22-time Grand Slam singles champion — he shares the men’s record with Novak Djokovic — had originally thought he would be out for up to two months.
He pulled out of hard-court tournaments at Indian Wells and Miami, with his sights set on a return at the start of the clay-court season, but it did not come to fruition.
“It has been a difficult few weeks and months,” Nadal said, with no timeline given for a return to the court,” Nadal wrote on Instagram.
“As you know, I suffered a major injury in Australia, in the psoas (muscle). Initially, it had to be a six to eight week recovery period and we are now on 14. The reality is that the situation is not what we would have expected.
“All medical indications have been followed but somehow the evolution has not been what they initially told us and we find ourselves in a difficult situation.
“The weeks are passing and I had the illusion of being able to play in tournaments that are the most important in my career such as Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Madrid, Rome, Roland Garros, and for the moment I have missed Monte Carlo and Barcelona. I will not be able to be in Madrid, unfortunately.
“The injury still hasn’t healed and I can’t work out what I need to do to compete. I was training but now a few days ago we decided to change course a bit, do another treatment and see if things improve to try to get to what comes next.”
Nadal said he and his team have decided to try a different treatment and see if things improve, but that he was not setting a deadline for his comeback.
His fitness problems have become an increasing issue since he won his 14th French Open crown last year.
At Wimbledon last summer he was forced to withdraw from his semi-final because of an abdominal injury.
The French Open starts on May 28.