Rafael Nadal has undergone right-hand surgery in Barcelona. The former world No. 1 battled injuries throughout his career and hung up his racket at last year’s Davis Cup Finals. Nadal has since shared his hopes of playing exhibition matches with his old rival, Roger Federer, in the future. But those plans will have to wait following his latest operation.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion suffered from severe osteoarthritis of the trapeziometacarpal joint on his right hand and underwent an arthroplasty aimed at relieving pain and restoring mobility of the joint. Nadal’s surgery was carried out by Dr. Alex Lluch at the Teknon Medical Centre, with his physician, Angel Ruiz-Cotorro, and Dr. Vilaro supervising.
The 39-year-old joked that his latest procedure would rule him out of January’s Australian Open. « Looks like I won’t be able to play the @AustralianOpen 2026 I had to undergo hand surgery because of an issue I’d been dealing with for a long time, but I hope to be fine soon! » he tweeted. Federer, meanwhile, will be back Down Under next month to take part in the Australian Open’s inaugural Opening Ceremony. He is set to play an exhibition match with Andre Agassi, Pat Rafter, and Lleyton Hewitt.
Nadal recently made a return to the tennis court, hitting with young star Alexandra Eala at his academy in Mallorca. Eala, a Rafa Nadal Academy alum, enjoyed a breakthrough year on the WTA Tour.
And Nadal marked the anniversary of his retirement by getting back on the court with the world No. 52. The Spanish superstar shared a video of their practice session on social media and wrote: “One year later, it felt great to be back on a tennis court! It was great to practice with you @AlexEala05 ! Next time I will be stronger.”
The news of Nadal’s latest surgery also comes days before he is expected to attend the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The former world No. 1 is an ambassador for the Saudi Tennis Federation (STF).
“Coming back to Jeddah for the Next Gen ATP Finals is something I am looking forward to. I’ve been given the warmest of welcomes in Saudi Arabia and I feel there is a real energy for tennis,” Nadal said.
“As I have been saying, it’s my goal to help inspire the next generation, in Saudi Arabia and around the world. Working together with the STF to develop the huge potential of tennis in the Kingdom that has already made impressive progress is one key element.
“The reason for me to come back is to see the development at all levels and to help towards that goal. I’m very proud to help more kids pick up a racket, compete, or simply discover something new that they love.”
Source link
