Rafael Nadal out with stress-facture of rib; to miss next four to six weeks of clay swing

Rafael Nadal's plans to transition and prepare for the upcoming clay-court swing has taken a backseat after the 21-time Grand Slam champion got diagnosed with a rib stress fracture after his 20-match winning streak was brought to a halt by Taylor Fritz at the Indian Wells finals on Sunday.

Having stated clearly after suffering that straight-set loss to the American, the 2022 Australian Open champion mentioned that he was having difficulty breathing and sharp pain in his chest and wasn't at his best against Fritz in the finals, with the past few weeks of hectic tennis taking a toll on the 35-year-old tennis legend's body.

With this new development, Rafael Nadal will be out for the next four to six weeks and will have to miss the build-up tournaments before the French Open begins in May. Nadal, a 13-time French Open champion, will have to skip the Monte Carlo Masters in April and a return for the Barcelona Open also seems difficult.

"As it turns out, I have a stress crack in one of my ribs and will be out for 4-6 weeks," Nadal said on social media after tests in Spain. "This is not good news and I did not expect this. I am downcast and sad because after the start of the season I have had such a good time."

Nadal's affair with injuries is a familiar one that has haunted him throughout the span of his career but it has never been able to write off the Spaniard's immense potential for a comeback.

Nadal was out with a foot injury in the latter half of 2021 but he made a stunning comeback and went on to win 20 matches straight that included a 21st title at the Australian Open, followed by another trophy lift at Mexico, before Taylor Fritz stopped him in the tracks at Indian Wells.

Additionally, Nadal had withdrawn from the Miami Masters too so that he could safe keep his body for the clay swing, where he reigns supreme as the greatest clay-court player the game has ever produced.

Nadal will have to patiently hope for recovery and get back to training soon so that he can aim for a comeback at Madrid at the beginning of May.

Meanwhile, World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, having played only one tournament this year, will be making his return to tennis with the Monte Carlo Masters in April and Nadal will have to be wary of him, whenever he makes his comeback from this injury setback.