Alex Corretja claims Rafael Nadal's injury "might be more serious than expected", says he's "concerned" about the Spaniard's future
Rafael Nadal withdrew from the US Open and ended his 2021 season due to a chronic foot injury. The injury flared up during the 35-year-old's loss to Novak Djokovic in the Roland Garros semifinals earlier this year.
The Spaniard later withdrew from Wimbledon and the Tokyo Olympics in a bid to protect his body. Nadal returned to action at the Citi Open in Washington, but was visibly bothered by his foot problem in three-set matches against Jack Sock and Lloyd Harris.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion was then forced to pull out of Masters 1000 events in Toronto and Cincinnati as he looked to recover in time for the US Open. However, Nadal confirmed last week that he wouldn't be able to participate in the final Grand Slam of the year. The Spaniard does, however, hope to return to full fitness some time next year.
According to tennis analyst Alex Corretja, Nadal's withdrawal from major events this year is possibly a sign that his injury is worse than anyone could have anticipated. The two-time French Open finalist said he was "concerned" about the Spaniard's future.
"Since he pulled out of Toronto and Cincinnati we were wondering if he was going to be okay for the US Open," Corretja told Eurosport. "But if he is not 100 per cent and able to play and healthy, it's normal that he takes a little while to recover."
"What is concerning me a little bit is that he pulled out of Wimbledon, the Olympics and now the US Open. That means that maybe the injury is more serious than we expected, and I'm a little bit concerned for the future as well," he added.
Would have been tough for Rafael Nadal to push Novak Djokovic at US Open: Justine Henin
Seven-time Grand Slam champion Justine Henin also weighed in on Nadal's decision to end his season. Henin claimed it was not surprising to see him pull the plug on his campaign considering the way he exited Roland Garros.
"It is not a big surprise, we knew it could happen. The way he (Rafael Nadal) left Roland Garros, we could see it was difficult, physically, and it looks like it remains hard physically," Henin told Eurosport.
According to Henin, even if Nadal did decide to participate at the US Open, he would not be in a condition to compete with the younger players and tournament favorite Novak Djokovic.
"We can also see a new generation pushing a lot and, of course, Rafa has to be in his best shape if he wants to compete," she added. "If he comes to a Grand Slam, it is to win, and he is not in the condition to do that."
"It would have been tough for him to be in good shape and to be able to push Novak, who is confident even though he lost at the Olympic Games," she added.