Rafael Nadal is all but out for the 2023 season.
Nadal has been on the sidelines since his Australian Open exit in January due to a hip issue. He was initially expected to be out of action for eight weeks but has remained out since, having recently withdrawn from the ongoing French Open — the first time he's missed the competition in nearly two decades.
On Friday, the Spaniard successfully underwent surgery on his hip and according to his representative, the recovery time is an estimate of five months.
“Rafa will begin his progressive functional rehabilitation in a few hours,” Nadal's representative Benito Perez-Barbadillo said in a statement (via Reuters).
“The normal recovery process is estimated at five months, always taking into account respecting the biological times of said structure.”
The recovery timeline was also confirmed by Nadal on his birthday on Saturday.
“I will start progressive functional rehabilitation immediately and the normal recovery process they tell me is 5 months, if all goes well,” Nadal tweeted. “Once again thank you for all the support you have shown me and that you show me every day.
Today also on my birthday. Not in the desired or dreamed place, although thank you anyway.”
Although Nadal could be back before the end of the year, in reality, it is likely he is out for the rest of the season.
The good news, however, is he should be back for the 2024 Australian Open in a season that could very well be the last of his illustrious career.
“I expect Rafa will recover perfectly in the time necessary or maybe even less,” Nadal's doctor Angel Ruiz-Cotorro said of Nadal making a comeback. “It will depend on the evolution. There are different processes in this injury.
“First of all it's a little rest but we will begin some rehabilitation and after six weeks we will see what happens… and then obviously he'll start playing tennis very slowly.”
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