Rafael Nadal out of Madrid Open, says 'We find ourselves in a difficult situation'

Rafael Nadal will miss the Madrid Open next week because his recovery from a hip injury is going much slower than expected.

The 22-time Grand Slam winner has been sidelined since January by a left hip flexor injury he picked up at the Australian Open. The issue has kept him from the Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, and Barcelona tournaments so far.

The Madrid Open he's won five times starts on Monday.

“(This injury) was supposed to keep me out six to eight weeks, but I have been out 14,” Nadal said in Spanish in a message on Instagram on Thursday. “We have followed all the medical advice, but my recovery has not gone as they said it would, and now we find ourselves in a difficult situation.”

The 36-year-old Nadal did not mention his prospects for being fit for the French Open starting on May 28.

Image: AP