Rafael Nadal Faces Leg Injury From Australian Open Match

During the 2011 Australian Open, there was something noticeably off about World No.1 Rafael Nadal.

News first came out that the top player was suffering from a virus similar to the fever he battled during the Qatar Open, where he lost to Nikolay Davydenko.

Just released today from Mallorca, Spain, it seems that the real issue facing Nadal was a torn muscle in his right leg. Posted on his web site, the player reportedly tore his adductor muscle in his right leg during his match against David Ferrer in the quarterfinals, where Ferrer defeated Nadal in straight sets. 

Doctors have assured Nadal that his recovery will be swift, and that with anti-inflammatory medication, as well as physical therapy, he could be healed within the next 10 days and not have to miss any tournaments, including an appearance at the Davis Cup in March.

Currently, Nadal has been No.1 in the world for nearly 82 weeks, the eighth-best total in ATP history.

However, analysts have begun to wonder if No. 3 and Australian Open men's singles winner Novak Djokovic could surpass him within the coming years. The Spaniard holds three of the four Grand Slam titles.

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