Rafael Nadal under serious injury cloud ahead of Australian summer of tennis

RAFAEL Nadal’s ongoing knee injuries have forced him out of a rich exhibition in Abu Dhabi, raising serious concerns for the world No.1 ahead of the Australian Open and Brisbane International.

Rafael Nadal is under an injury cloud.

RAFAEL Nadal is under a familiar injury cloud for the Australian summer, with knee soreness which has forced him to cancel a warm-up appearance at a rich Middle East exhibition this week.

Spanish media reported that Nadal called a five-day halt to his training last week and ventured to Barcelona to consult with his doctor on the right knee injury which forced him out of the year-end ATP Finals.

The Brisbane International’s top seed returned to his home of Mallorca but did not train and pulled out of an exhibition in Abu Dhabi which he was supposed to play next weekend on the way to Brisbane.

Rafael Nadal is under an injury cloud.

Australian Open organisers understand Nadal wanted more preparation time and as of last night expected him to play as planned at the Brisbane International, which starts next Sunday.

But it appears the 15-time Grand Slam title winner is still paying a price for his punishing 17-tournament schedule this year, which netted him two more Grand Slam titles, including a 10th French Open crown, and four other ATP titles.

US Open women’s champion Sloane Stephens (knee) and 2014 US Open men’s runner-up Kei Nishikori (wrist) have also pulled out of the Brisbane International in the past two days without being drawn on their hopes of contesting the Australian Open from January 15.

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While the world No. 1 has in recent years managed to tailor a preparation around flare-ups from his troublesome knees and play through intense pain, it’s the one injury which has proven to stop him in his tracks.

Brisbane organisers will be hopeful Nadal can overcome this latest setback and take his place in the Queensland tournament as the oldest man to have finished a year ranked No. 1 since the ATP rankings started in 1973.

At 31 years, four months, it was the fourth time Nadal was year-end No. 1, having split the year’s four majors equally with Roger Federer.

Nadal won a race to the honour despite his knee forcing him to withdraw from two tournaments late in the year, with Federer’s back also forcing him to curtail his schedule with an eye to next month’s Australian Open.

Brisbane organisers have also been assured dual Wimbledon champion Andy Murray, a second drawcard, intends to fly out of London after Christmas.

Kei Nishikori will miss the Brisbane International with a wrist injury.

British media reported Murray has made slow progress this month in training in returning from a chronic hip injury which stopped him playing after July.

Nadal frequently has had to play wounded because of his punishing style and has developed a theory that when he is injured the adrenaline from the heights of competition “deadens the pain’’.

The dilemma which may face Nadal and Murray, as well as Brisbane withdrawal Nishikori, is how effectively they would contend at the Australian Open if they were unable to get some matches in at ATP tournaments.

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are set to go toe to toe once again in 2018.

Nadal played three matches at Pat Rafter Arena, to three capacity attendances of 5500, to settle his nerves over how his body would serve him after missing the late weeks of the 2016 season.

The news of Nadal’s withdrawal from the Abu Dhabi event came almost 12 months after he arrived in Brisbane ranked No. 9 in the world, with a suspect wrist and knees that were one awkward twist away from finally ending his career.

“One year ago, for sure I never dreamt about being world No. 1 again – it’s something that means a lot to me,’’ Nadal said at the year-end ATP Finals.

“I am very happy for everything. It has been an amazing year.’’

Originally published as Rafael Nadal under serious injury cloud ahead of Australian summer of tennis