When will Rafael Nadal be back? This question has kept the minds of his fans occupied. Rafael Nadal’s doctor, Dr. Cotorro, shed light upon his comeback and pressed on the point that his recovery is a priority at the moment. The doctor has focused on resting and recovering from his injury completely, after which Rafa can make a comeback. 

Rafael Nadal’s performance

Rafael Nadal had kept his winning streak alive after clinching the title in Acapulco and then yet again at the Australian Open as well. He achieved the feat of becoming the first man to attain 21 grand slam titles. But what succeeded after that took his fans into remorse. Rafael Nadal was performing brilliantly during the Indian Wells 2022. His form was at its best and he was performing his best in 2022. However, at the finals of Indian Wells, we saw Rafa losing to Taylor Fritz. Though that was a considerable loss, his injury graved the hearts of his fans. His doctor has clarified, “he will only go on court when the rib is healed. Otherwise, the issue could come back.”

Hurdles for Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal has confirmed that he has a fissure of the third left costal arch. The rib cage injury caused trouble for the Spaniard and became a hurdle. The injury is not common to the sport, however; it is not the only case. He experienced the pain for the first time during the semi-finals with Carlos Alcaraz Garfia. However, his doctor has said, “It is an injury that comes from time. The ailment comes from the beginning of the year. He has not presented any ailment until the third set of the Indian Wells semifinals.” The injury happens when there is aggregate pressure on the bone. 

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The focus of recovery would be on rest and the doctor fixated on studying the evolution closely and intensive treatment. Risking nothing, the player as per the doctor would be okay between four to six weeks. He will train to keep himself fit, however, he will be out on the court only when his rib injury is healed completely. There was not any time to ensure that the injury had taken place before the finals. Dr. Cotorro talked about the resilience of the player. He said, “In the Indian Wells final, he didn’t play undercover, he endured the pain well. It bothered him a lot, but he didn’t think about leaving the final.” Though, the doctor clarified that the final did not provoke the injury as the fracture had already taken place.

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On the question, if Rafa would be back for the Madrid Open, the doctor emphasized the evolution will set the dates, and then maybe it could become possible for him to be there. Conclusively, we hope for Nadal’s quick recovery so that he comes back again soon and ignites the competition of the sport.