RAFAEL NADAL'S AUSTRALIAN OPEN WITHDRAWAL LEAVES PLENTY OF QUESTIONS ABOUT HIS FUTURE

Rafael Nadal chose to look on the bright side when it comes to the torn hip muscle that will keep him out of the Australian Open and extend his absence from tennis to more than a year.

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Rafael Nadal chose to look on the bright side when it comes to the torn hip muscle that will keep him out of the Australian Open and extend his absence from tennis to more than a year.

At least, he told the world via social media, this is not the same part of the hip that he hurt in Melbourne last January and that required surgery last June. At least, the 22-time Grand Slam champion explained, he still can point to his main goal for 2024, which remains to be fit and ready to compete in a serious way at the French Open on his beloved red clay.

“This is not very bad news,” Nadal insisted while announcing he wasn't going to be able to give his best at Melbourne Park, where he has collected two trophies and where the year's first major tournament begins next Sunday, “and we all remain positive … for the season.”

That might make his fans feel better about things. But there are still plenty of lingering questions about what this all means for his future in the sport. And several of those questions are the same as those that everyone was asking in 2023.