MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Rafael Nadal strained his left hip flexor during his second-round loss at the Australian Open and may need six to eight weeks to recover, his representative said Thursday.
The Spaniard, with 22 Grand Slam titles under his belt, underwent an MRI at a Melbourne hospital under the supervision of his doctor on Thursday, a day after injuring himself during their early straight-sets loss to American Mackenzie McDonald. in the first major of the season.
Nadal, who at 36 years old was defending the title and was the first seed in Melbourne Park, will return to Spain to rest.
The world number two has lost seven of the last nine matches he has played since his defeat in the round of 16 at the US Open in September.
