Former world No.1 Boris Becker has claimed the good profession of Rafael Nadal is coming to an finish.
That could be one other step in the direction of the altering of the guard on the summit of males’s tennis after practically twenty years through which it has been dominated by three males.
Nadal exited the Australian Open on the second spherical stage, his title defence fatally undermined by a hip muscle harm.
It was the newest in a sequence of accidents which have bothered the 36-year-old Spaniard since he received a report twenty second grand slam title at Roland Garros final June.
Becker informed Eurosport the injury-affected loss was “the first step towards his [Nadal’s] retirement”
A scan in Melbourne on Thursday revealed a grade two tear of Nadal’s iliopsoas muscle. That is the primary hip flexor and is central to the energy and integrity of the hip joint, such an important and weak a part of the physique in elite-level tennis.
“An injury like that is hard and at this age it takes even longer to get back into shape,” mentioned Becker. “I hope and pray that he will get well soon and that we will see him looking fresh again in Paris at the latest. But I think his days are numbered.”
Nadal’s crew mentioned he could be out for six weeks, which might rule him out of Indian Wells, the place he misplaced within the remaining final yr to Taylor Fritz after taking part in with a damaged rib.
He needs to be match to play within the European claycourt swing that culminates within the French Open, which Nadal received final yr regardless of requiring an injection to numb his foot.
He was then pressured to withdraw from Wimbledon after tearing an stomach muscle earlier than his semi-final with Nick Kyrgios.
He ruptured that muscle once more earlier than the US Open when he misplaced within the fourth spherical.
Speaking earlier than the scan Nadal mentioned one other lengthy harm break would make it “super difficult in the end to be in rhythm and to be competitive and to be ready to fight for the things that I really want to fight for. Let’s see how the injury is, and then let’s see how I can manage to follow the calendar.”
Of Nadal’s two nice rivals Roger Federer retired final yr, at 41, having performed his final grand slam in 2021 and received his twentieth, and final, at Melbourne in 2018, aged 36.
The different member of the massive three, Novak Djokovic, age 35, is into the third spherical in Melbourne as he chases his twenty second grand slam title. He is, although, carrying a hamstring harm.
Becker, who received six grand slam titles, retired at 32. He has not too long ago returned to commentary duties after a spell in jail in England for hiding property having been made bankrupt.
