Rafael Nadal ruled out for five months following hip surgery

After several months of uncertainty, Rafael Nadal finally has a definitive answer. Having undergone surgery on his iliac psoas last week with the aim of finding out the extent of his hip injury, the Spaniard now knows that he'll be out of action for five months.

Having last appeared on the court in January, Nadal had already written off practically the whole of 2023, but left the door open to appearing at the Davis Cup in Malaga from 21 to 26 November. However, that now seems unlikely.

"The surgery was positive. It consisted of cleaning the fibrotic and degenerated areas of the tendon both proximally and distally, as well as suturing it to reinforce it properly. In the second stage, an old lesion of the labrum of his left hip was also repaired, which will help the tendon to progress better," the tennis player's team said in a statement.

"Rafa will start his progressive functional rehabilitation in a few hours. The normal recovery process is estimated at five months."

The goal of Nadal, who turned 37 on Saturday, is to recover in time for a farewell tour in 2024 and be able to play at the highest possible level. The Davis Cup, therefore, seems like it will come too soon for the Mallorcan.