Nadal has hip operation, faces five months out

The Spaniard has already said he expects 2024 to be his final year on Tour, if he recovers

June 3, 2023

Rafael Nadal is facing five months out of action after undergoing an operation on the left psoas tendon injury that he suffered at the Australian Open in January.

The Spaniard celebrated his 37th birthday in a clinic in Barcelona, where an “arthroscopic intervention” was carried out late on Friday night.

Hola a todos. Como sabéis anoche tuve una intervención quirúrgica. Todo ha ido bien y la artroscopia fue en el tendón del psoas izquierdo que me ha tenido apartado de la competición desde enero.

— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) June 3, 2023

A statement from his representatives said the operation was carried out “at the Teknon Clinic in Barcelona by doctors Marc Philippon, Jaume Vilaró and Angel Ruiz-Cotorro”.

“The surgery has been positive, it consisted of cleaning the fibrotic and degenerated areas of the tendon both proximal and distal, as well as suturing it to adequately reinforce it,” Nadal’s press agent said.

“In a second period, an old injury to the labrum of his left hip was also regularised, which will surely help the tendon evolve better.”

Davis Cup return in 2023 unlikely

Nadal is expected to be out for around five months,which would take him to the beginning of December.

Last month, Nadal announced that he would be missing the French Open and said that 2024 is likely to be his last year on Tour, if he makes a full recovery.

He previously expressed hope that he could play in the Davis Cup finals, which begin on November 26. A five-month absence would make that very unlikely.