Rafael Nadal made the decision to undergo surgery and take the necessary time off for recovery when his hip problem flared again during the Australian Open in 2023. Regretfully, Nadal got hurt again in January when he played on Australian hard courts again. He was consequently unable to play for nearly three more months.
Rafael Nadal made his clay-court comeback last week at the ATP 500 Barcelona Open. His return to the red dirt was, however, short-lived as he was defeated by Alex de Minaur in the second round. Nadal has a protected rating (PR) going into the main event of the Madrid Open. In addition to Nadal, Denis Shapovalov of Canada has also taken part via PR.
The player with the most success at the Madrid Open is Rafael Nadal. With eight final appearances and five championships, the Spaniard leads the field in the competition. Novak Djokovic has been the recipient of the trophy three times after Rafael Nadal. Rafael Nadal would be hoping to win his sixth championship in the Spanish metropolis prior to entering the 2024 Roland Garros. So let’s examine the Spaniard’s possible route to the ATP 500 tournament final:
