Rafael Nadal withdraws from Barcelona Open; When will he return to action?

Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the upcoming ATP 500 Barcelona Open, saying he is "still not ready" to return to competitive tennis.

Nadal broke the news of his withdrawal from the Barcelona Open on Twitter. He is recovering from a hip injury that has also kept him out of the ongoing ATP 1000 Monte-Carlo Masters. The 22-time Grand Slam champion is now facing a race against time to recover for the Roland Garros in May, where he is the defending champion.

The 36-year-old Spanish star has not played since his second-round loss to American Mackenzie McDonald at the Australian Open in January.

"Barcelona is a special tournament for me, because it is my adopted club and because playing at home is always a unique feeling. I am still not ready and, therefore, I continue my preparation process for the return to competition," Nadal wrote on his official twitter account.

"Good luck to my friend David Ferrer and his whole team for this edition of the Godó that will surely be a success as always on all levels," added Nadal.

Nadal, who has never lost a final at the Barcelona Open, has won the clay-court tournament for a record 12 times. But he hasn't played at the Barcelona Open since 2021, when he defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final. Barcelona Open is one of the last big clay tournaments before the Roland Garros begins in Paris on May 28.

Now ranked 14th among the ATP players, Nadal was diagnosed with a left hip injury after his straight sets defeat to McDonald in Melbourne earlier this year. While the estimated recovery time was six to eight weeks, Nadal is not expected to be back in action, at the earliest, until the Madrid Open, which starts on April 25.

Nadal has made a disappointing start to the new 2023 season, claiming only one win from four matches. He has been unable to find his best form since his brilliant run at Wimbledon last year before being forced to retire from the tournament just ahead of his semi-final meeting with Nick Kyrgios.

The Spain national started 2023 by featuring in the United Cup for Spain, where he ended up losing both his singles fixtures. Nadal dropped a set in the opening round of the Australian Open but managed a win against Jack Draper, before getting ousted in the second round.