It is not a huge surprise, but it is unsettling to hear that Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the next two tennis tournaments in Doha and Dubai.
The Qatar ExxonMobil Open is scheduled for February 20 through February 26, and the Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championships are immediately afterward from February 27 through March 4.
Nadal has not played tennis since losing in the second round of the Australian Open to American Mackenzie McDonald on January 18.
He is dealing with a hip injury suffered at the Australian Open that was expected to require six to eight weeks to heal.
What It Means
The rest of his spring schedule is yet to be determined.
The Indian Wells Masters, running from March 6 through the 19th is immediately after the Dubai tournament.
It is the unofficial fifth major, and Nadal has won it three times (2007, 2009, 2013).
Nadal was the runner-up in that tournament last year falling to Taylor Fritz.
If Nadal is forced to pull out of that tournament, we will get a clear indication that his hip injury is recovering slower than expected.
What About The French Open?
Though it is a few months away, fans hope that Nadal is fully recovered for Roland Garros.
Probably the most iconic introduction in all of tennis:
Rafael Nadal, at Roland Garros 🇫🇷💪
📸 @nycsandygirl pic.twitter.com/GKC7q4HozQ
— Olly 🎾🇬🇧 (@Olly_Tennis_) February 7, 2023
This is the second Grand Slam tournament on the calendar in 2023 running from May 22 to June 11.
Nadal owns this tournament; he has won it 14 times and is the defending champion.
He is likely managing his recovery and fitness to get ready for Roland Garros.
In the meantime, his Roland Garros 2023 Nike outfit has been revealed.
He will be wearing a two-toned blue shirt with the Nike swoosh and his signature logo appearing in white.
We have yet to see the sneakers but can be assured that Nike is cooking up something special to commemorate Rafa’s domination of his tournament.
Rafa’s Roland Garros 2023 outfit
📸 rafanadal9_seven IG pic.twitter.com/VjKNFUgQ75
— Olly 🎾🇬🇧 (@Olly_Tennis_) February 11, 2023
The Race For 23 In ’23
Rafa and Novak Djovokic are in pursuit of their mind-boggling 23rd Grand Slam title during this calendar year.
Both currently are tied with 22 Grand Slams each.
The young players including U.S. Open Champion Carlos Alcarez, who is returning from injury, as well as Americans Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe, are among those who will try to stop the domination of the remaining two of the Big 3 dynasty of tennis in 2023.
"That's a lot of trophies"
Félix Auger-Aliassime had the chance to visit the Rafael Nadal museum with its founder in person
(🎥 @rnadalacademy) pic.twitter.com/9gQ6s0D8Zk
— We Are Tennis (@WeAreTennis) February 10, 2023
Speaking of the young talent, Nadal was recently spotted showing Canadian tennis star Felix Auger-Aliassime around the Rafael Nadal Academy and museum. FAA is coached by Rafa’s uncle Toni which provided an interesting dynamic in 2022 when Nadal faced FAA.
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