[ad_1]
Rafael Nadal’s fans were devastated by the Spaniard’s announcement of his withdrawal from the upcoming Italian Open. Fans expressed their sadness and grief, saying that they had no words and were only pained upon hearing the news.
The King of Clay has not played a single match for nearly five months due to an injury sustained during his second-round loss at the 2023 Australian Open. Initially, the Spaniard was expected to return to spend his favorite time of the season on European courts.
However, week after week, the 22-time Grand Slam champion has broken millions of hearts around the world by withdrawing from the Monte Carlo Masters, Barcelona Open, Madrid Masters, and now the Italian Open.
Fans took to Twitter to express their feelings, saying the Mallorcan Islands announcement made their worst fears come true. Many are wondering if the 14-time champion will compete at Roland Garros 2023 without a single competitive match played on clay.
The pain of the announcement has left fans “speechless”.
“Devastated. Speechless. No words,” one fan wrote.
“And the ‘Hola a todos’ fear came true again, dammit… Which was the last Roland Garros where Nadal wasn’t the favourite? (shock emoji),” wrote another.
While most fans wished him a speedy recovery, some even wondered if this was the end of the 36-year-old’s career.
Here are the other reactions to the Spaniard’s announcement:
Carlos Moya believes that Rafael Nadal can always pull a rabbit out of a hat
Despite missing all of the ATP Masters 1000 tournaments due to the groin injury he sustained in January, coach Rafael Nadal says the 36-year-old is making progress day by day.
Carlos Moya also expressed that The King of Clay continues with confidence and that he does not need many matches to be ready to compete.
“Go ahead with confidence, with Rafa you can always expect him to be a bunny out of the hat,” Moya said. “That’s why I think he’s always been an urban legend Nadal needs a lot of games to be ready, when he came back from injury he always did well.”
It remains to be seen if the 14-time champion will make a return to Roland Garros in 2023. However, the climb will be steep for the 22-time Grand Slam champion to defend his title after being out for nearly five months.
What foot injury has Rafael Nadal suffered over the years? Check here
[ad_2]
