Nadal out of Australian Open with muscle tear

MELBOURNE, Jan 07 (AFP): Spanish superstar Rafael Nadal on Sunday pulled out of the Australian Open with a "micro tear on a muscle" barely a week after making his comeback from a year-long injury absence, but said he remained positive.
The 37-year-old had been out of the game since injuring his hip at the 2023 Australian Open, undergoing surgery before making his comeback at the Brisbane International.
He won his opening two matches, but needed a medical timeout towards the end of his quarter-final loss to Jordan Thompson after feeling pain in his upper left thigh.
"During my last match in Brisbane I had a small problem on a muscle that as you know made me worried," he said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
"Once I got to Melbourne I have had the chance to make an MRI and I have micro tear on a muscle, not in the same part where I had the injury and that's good news.
"Right now I am not ready to compete at the maximum level of five-set matches. I'm flying back to Spain to see my doctor, get some treatment and rest."
Injuries have been a recurring theme of Nadal's record-breaking career, a painful by-product of his all-action, brutal-hitting style that has led to struggles with serious knee, wrist and foot problems.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion stressed in Brisbane that he did not come into the tournament expecting to win, and hinted that the Australian Open was coming too soon for him. "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 three 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.