Rafael Nadal's season is all but over after he underwent surgery on a hip muscle that will keep him out of action for an estimated five months, his representative said Saturday.
The 14-time French Open champion, who has won a men's joint-record 22 majors, has been out of action since January after hurting his hip flexor in his second-round match at the Australian Open. «Rafa will begin his progressive functional rehabilitation in a few hours, and the normal recovery process is estimated at five months, always taking into account respecting the biological times of said structure,» Benito Perez-Barbadillo said.
The 37-year-old Spaniard has said 2024 is likely to be his last year as a professional player. He was initially set to miss up to eight weeks but skipped clay-court tournaments in Madrid and Rome to build his fitness after being ruled out of events at Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo and Barcelona this season.