Rafael Nadal to miss the Australian Open after fresh injury setback

Veteran Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal’s long-awaited return to the court received a setback this week after he sustained a fresh hip injury during his quarter-final defeat to Jordan Thompson at the Brisbane International on Friday.

The 22-time Grand Slam winner, who had been making a comeback after a year-long injury absence, suffered a minor muscle tear which will now rule him out of the demanding five-set Australian Open starting on 14 January.

In a statement shared on his social media on Sunday, Nadal confirmed that he had undergone an MRI scan on his return to Melbourne and that it revealed a “micro tear on a muscle”.

He also confirmed that it wasn’t a recurrence of the hip injury that had sidelined him for almost a year - something the 37-year-old described as “good news”.

The message concluded: “I’m flying back to Spain to see my doctor, get some treatment and rest.”