Rafael Nadal has admitted he has no idea when he will be fit to play again after being forced to drop out of next week's Madrid Masters.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion has not been back on court since his second-round Australian Open defeat to Mackenzie McDonald in January. The hip injury Nadal sustained in Melbourne has forced him to miss tournaments at Indian Wells, Miami and Monte Carlo, as well as the current Barcelona Open.
And now the 36-year-old has also missed out on the opportunity of adding to his record five Madrid Masters titles after a setback that leaves him a serious doubt for the French Open which starts in Paris on May 28.
“The injury still hasn't healed and I can't work out what I need to compete,” Nadal said in a video published on his social media accounts.
“I was training, but a few days ago we decided to change course a bit, do another treatment and see if things improve to try to get to what comes next.
“I can't give deadlines because if I knew I would tell you but I don't know. This is how things are now.”
It means Nadal is running out of time to be fit for Roland Garros, the clay-court Grand Slam he has long-dominated having been crowned champion a record 14 times.
And the length of time it is taking him to recover from the injury has left Nadal puzzled. “Initially it had to be a six to eight week recovery period and we are now on fourteen,” he added.
“The reality is that the situation is not what we would have expected. All medical indications have been followed, but somehow the evolution has not been what they initially told us and we find ourselves in a difficult situation.
“The weeks are passing and I had the desire of being able to play in tournaments that are the most important in my career such as Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Madrid, Rome, Roland Garros and for the moment I have missed Monte Carlo and Barcelona. I will not be able to be in Madrid unfortunately.”
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
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