Andy Roddick thinks this could be the beginning of the end for Rafael Nadal after the latest news regarding the Spaniard’s health. Nadal, who suffered a torn hip muscle injury in Australia, was targeting to make his return at the start of the clay season in Australia.
But Nadal was forced to miss Monte Carlo and he is also out of next week’s ATP event in Barcelona. Also, the reports coming from Spain indicate that Nadal may not even be ready to compete at the Madrid Masters. Appearing on Tennis Channel, Roddick was asked whether this could be the beginning of an end for Nadal.
Roddick on the Nadal injury woes
“Yeah, it very well could be. Listen, did any of us think he was going to sneak two slams in last year, be healthy, and play a solid amount of tennis through the first seven months? Probably not.
The space between his injuries is getting tighter and tighter. It seems like they are cumulative now. Whereas he used to play, he would take three or four months off at a time but then come back completely healthy. It does not seem like he has been completely healthy since last year’s run at Wimbledon.
For the rest of his career, he is going to draw a bright red circle around the French Open and do everything in his power to get matches going in. This is a real concern if he’s missing out on Monte-Carlo, Barcelona, and Madrid.
He’s a diesel engine, he needs those reps going into events. This is very concerning for Rafa fans,” Roddick said on Tennis Channel. After the Australian Open, it was reported Nadal would be out for six to eight weeks. At the time, the general belief was that Nadal definitely be able to start his clay season in time. Unfortunately for Nadal, his recovery is taking longer than expected.
