"He is not injured": New theory thrown into the mix surrounding Rafael Nadal's Monte-Carlo Masters withdrawal
ATP
Rafael Nadal is not injured and there is a mental problem behind his withdrawal from the Monte-Carlo Masters is the theory which has been put across by Spanish media over the last few days.
Nadal claimed that his body wouldn't let him play in the Monte-Carlo Masters which he won eight times in a row between 2005 and 2012. He has not played since early January competitively and has been struggling to return due to a back injury.
But these withdrawals were all centred around returning during the clay court season which didn't happen in the end. The clock is ticking and with Madrid and Rome to come, Roland Garros doubts will be evident.
"These are very difficult moments for me, sporting wise," Nadal wrote. "Unfortunately I have to tell you that I am not going to be playing in Monte Carlo. My body simply won't allow me. The only thing I can do is to accept the situation and try to look at the immediate future keeping the excitement and will to play in order to give me a chance for things to get better."
But Spanish media hear differently reportedly. "The question now is, what's going on with him? 'My body simply won't let me'. As we translate that, we can say that it is a euphemism to describe, without saying much, now that Spanish national radio knows this information, that Rafa is not injured," said Javier de Diego as per Radio Nacional.
"From here, based on intuition because it is not confirmed, but if he is not injured, it is that Rafa is not mentally prepared to return to top competition. Let's call it stress, let's call it mental fatigue or worrying about the risk of falling or getting injured again, the fact is that it would be more of a mental problem than a physical one."
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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