Rafael Nadal has been ruled out of the Australian Open after sustaining a hip injury at the Brisbane International.
The former World Number one from Spain will return to Spain for treatment
Nadal made his long-awaited return after almost a year out with injury this week, winning his first two matches in Brisbane in straight sets.
But he was injured in his quarter-final loss to Jordan Thompson on Friday.
A scan showed a micro tear on a muscle but not in the same area as his previous long-term injury.
The Spaniard, who had not played a singles match for 349 days prior to his opening win over Dominic Thiem, said the result was “good news” but he was “not ready to compete at the maximum level”.
He said in May, after being forced to miss the French Open for the first time in 19 years, that 2024 would “probably” be the final year of his career, meaning he may have already played his last Australian Open, a tournament he has won twice.
“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,” 22-time Grand Slam champion Nadal said on social media.
