Rafael Nadal to Skip Barcelona Open, 'Still Not Prepared' to Play After Hip Injury

One of the greatest men's singles tennis players in history will not be at the Barcelona Open.

Rafael Nadal announced on Instagram and Twitter that he is "still not prepared" to take the court as he recovers from the hip injury he suffered during the second round of the Australian Open in January:

Nadal clearly struggled with the injury as he lost to Mackenzie McDonald in Melbourne and will not return until the Madrid Open, which starts April 25, at the earliest.

The Spainard's absence at the Barcelona Open is particularly notable because of his dominance there and since it is one of the final clay-court events to prepare for the French Open, which begins May 28.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion has won the Barcelona Open a record 12 times and sports a sparkling 66-4 overall record at the tournament. Nadal defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in the 2021 final and has lost there just once since 2015.

The biggest question at this point is whether the King of Clay will be ready for the French Open, which he has won an astounding 14 times. If he is, he will be entering the tournament without experience this year at one of the most important events leading up to it.