Rafael Nadal How Now Pulled Out Of Brisbane, Will Have No Prep For Australian Open

by Tom Gainey | December 28th, 2017, 10:40 am
  • 27 Comments

The 2018 season is off to an ominous start for Rafael Nadal. The World No. 1 withdrew from the Abu Dhabi a few days ago, which raised a few eyebrows though it was just an exo. But now Nadal has been forced out of the ATP Brisbane event as his knee is still not ready to go.

“I am sorry to announce I won’t be coming to Brisbane this year. My intention was to play but I am still not ready after last year’s long season and the late start of my preparation,” Nadal wrote in a tweet.

“I had a great time there and it was a great start to the month I spent in Australia,” Nadal said. “I will be seeing my Aussie fans when I land on the 4th in Melbourne and start there my preparation for the Australian Open.”


Nadal made the semifinals in Brisbane last year and then went on to the finals at the Australian Open. He will go into Melbourne without any prep for the first time in his career.

His last match was against David Goffin at the ATP Finals.


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27 Comments for Rafael Nadal How Now Pulled Out Of Brisbane, Will Have No Prep For Australian Open

Daniel Says:

Wise decision, many have won AO without prep tournaments before and he will still be ranked #1, so getting 2 easy matches on first rounds probably at least 1 qualy.

It´s odd for him, but considering he is 5 months of turning 32 he will have to cut his schedule a bit and focus to be fully ready on clay as usual.


lylenubbins Says:

Roger looking like the heavy favorite for AO.


skeezer Says:

He’s paying the price for holding off Fed on the race for #1,


gonzalowski Says:

agree with all of you guys.
lylenubbins, favorite too beacuase of the change of surface / balls of last year.


AndyMira Says:

Oh!Nice words skeezer!…But u as a loyal tennis fans for years now must know that Rafa always suffered multiple injuries not only this year,but a WHOLE of his career…I’ll say it’s coincidence…but since u want to take a dig at Rafa & Rafans…u succeed..


Okiegal Says:

@AM 6:02… …. Totally agree with you!!


AndyMira Says:

Miss Okie!…hehe…why thank u ma’am!!


Willow Says:

Hate this forum ….


Willow Says:

Novaks pulled out, Andys playing though ….


Giles Says:

Alison. Why on earth are you here if you hate this forum??


j-kath Says:

Willow: It is far from certain that Andy’s playing. He just had a one-set exhibition match vs Agut…and, oh dear! 6-2 for Agut. According to the Telegraph,Andy improved towards end of set but the comments nonetheless were vivid and most worrying.


t4t Says:

Poor Nadal is paying the price of trying to be #1 ahead of a Univ of B powered guy! This year there maybe two if skeezer’s idol has shared his secrets with buddy Wawrinka.
As gonza pointed out, with surfaces, balls all custom made to suit the UB creation and also the schedule, anyone who tries to be ahead of the fake goat is going to end up with a broken body.


skeezer Says:

^Pot shot fail
#jealousmuch?


Willow Says:

Giles thats my buisness, lets just say im a masochist with nothing better to do at the moment ….


Truth Says:

Fraudswiss had no one in his draws (yes, h had very old opponents), and still couldn’t be #1. “Weakest” era, yet he failed.
Fred fans ran out of excuses.

Nadal needed glorified journeyman opponents and mentally ill Djoker to be number 1.


t4t Says:

skeezer, speak for yourself. You are jealous that despite boosting by UB and custom made surfaces, balls and schedules, the fake goat could not be #1.
#skeezerjealousmuch


Humble Rafa Says:

Cat lovers know that when older cats are healthy, they are juiced up.

#insidetips


tennismonger Says:

Why Rafans are getting their knickers in a twist over a casual/plausible observation is a mystery to me…

Had Fed played Basel & Paris back-to-back he could easily be dealing with the same issues or worse.

#commonsense #LongGame

;-)


t4t Says:

Fed is now a superman and can’t have any issues except fake ones. Nobody in the mainstream media has the guts to call for an investigation into the “miracle”.


Wog Boy Says:

Tennismongrel,
Reading this thread I don’t think Rafa fans have an issue rather some 36 years old fans are butthurted for him not finishing year as #1.

On the other note, in an interview, while watching Bencic match in Perth, 36 years old was asked how his day at practice looks like these days and he blatantly (arrogantly) said that these days he practice half of what he used to since he realized, after last year, that he doesn’t have problems anymore playing five set matches so he doesn’t need to practice as hard as before, can you believe it, he became superman at the age of 36?!


Wog Boy Says:

sorry, should say “tennismonger” and not “tennismongrel”, lapsus linguae lapsus calami;)


tennismonger Says:

Hmmm…Maybe I like your spelling better!

But a mongrel is every bit as good as a monger…

At any rate, we’ll see what the new year brings. I personally think that there’s too much talent on the back burner to stay there much longer…I’m looking for some new slam champs real soon!


j-kath Says:

Tennismonger: I wish I could agree with you re. “too much talent on the back burner to stay there much longer.” I personally believe that while there is “talent” none of them impresses with consistency – only by default will they shine. However, with 5 regular top players fighting injuries and only Roger left, they do now have a chance.


Van Persie Says:

Regarding Rafa-Roger rivalry in 2018.. hehe, it was fun to see Rafa lifting the Nr. 1 Ranking at the end of the year, even if Roger defeated him 3 or 4 times in a row, many fans of the Swiss claimed Roger had a better year because of that, and they are a bit right about that…but are Roger fans also admitting, that Rafa was the obvious better player during the years, where the Spaniard so clearly dominated Federer(we are talking about 4-5 years, not only one)?


Van Persie Says:

Correction, was talking about rivalry in 2017, not 2018


Willow Says:

New year, and hopefully everybody back from injuries, so we start again from scrtatch ….


Gom Says:

Nadal played against Gasquet today (Jan 9th) in Melbourne for Kooyong Classic invitation. I watched him playing at the venue. Although he lost 4-6 5-7, he seemed moving well. Gasquet played great.
http://kooyongclassic.com.au/aiava-starts-strong-nadal-knee-okay-opening-day-kooyong/

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