News24
03 Nov 2019, 23:43 GMT+10
Paris - Rafael Nadal's vulnerability to late-season injuries resurfaced this weekend as the 19-time Grand Slam champion was forced out of the Paris Masters with an abdominal muscle strain.
The world number two, who will usurp Novak Djokovic at the top of the rankings next week, has still only won two ATP titles indoors, a figure at least partly down to his November injury woes.
"I had this issue in the US Open 2009 with a bad experience," he said. "Because I started the tournament with, if I remember, around six, seven, millimetres of strain and I keep playing, I keep playing.
Nadal's first injury-enforced absence from the ATP Tour came as a 16-year-old in 2003 when he hurt his elbow in a fall during training and had to miss the French Open - an event he has gone on to win a record-breaking 12 times.
But he has been far from an ever-present on tour.
Many pundits consistently predicted Nadal would struggle to enjoy a long career due to his gruelling style of play and he has proved them wrong time and again since.
Nadal said he would fight to be fit for the season-ending championships in London, which start on November 10, until it is "impossible", but will first head home to Mallorca to start his recovery.
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