Rafa Nadal said his fitness was “far from perfect” as he prepares to return to action after a debilitating rib injury that has left him racing against time to get back to peak condition for the French Open.
The 35-year-old, who clinched a men’s record 21st Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Open earlier this year, suffered a stress fracture in his rib at Indian Wells, where he lost in the final to Taylor Fritz on March 20.
The injury has forced him to miss the claycourt events in Monte Carlo and Barcelona.
He is now battling to get back to his best before the French Open, which begins on May 22 and where he will bid for a record-extending 14th title.
The Spaniard will make his return at the ATP Masters 1000 Madrid Open on Wednesday.
“I’m recovered from the injury but tennis and preparation is another story,” Nadal told a news conference on Sunday.
“Those who have broken their ribs know how much it limits you and for the first few weeks I had difficulty sleeping because of the pain.
via Reuters
5th October 2026
Germany is at risk of entering a violent conflict as Moscow steps up an increasingly aggressive "shadow war" against European democracies, its head of foreign intelligence warned on Mon...
5th October 2026
Electric vehicle sales in the European Union reached record levels in 2026, driven by a wave of more affordable models as carmakers work to meet EU emissions targets, according to a new ...
5th October 2026
Morning Briefing
Labour ‘cannot pretend it heard nothing’ from Fenech trial - PL President
Labour Party president Alex Sciberras has said the party cannot pretend it “heard nothing...
2nd October 2026
Morning Briefing
Chief Justice urges political agreement on successor
Chief Justice Mark Chetcuti has urged political leaders to agree on his successor, while warning that delays, ...
25th June 2026
The European Commission has unveiled an ambitious package of tax reforms aimed at simplifying tax rules across the European Union, reducing compliance burdens for businesses and strength...
10th June 2026
The European Union's new Migration and Asylum Pact enters into force on 12 June, ushering in the most significant reform of the bloc's migration framework in years and placing renewed em...
5th October 2026
Electric vehicle sales in the European Union reached record levels in 2026, driven by a wave of more affordable models as carmakers work to meet EU emissions targets, according to a new ...
2nd October 2026
Authentic Brands Group has approached Mattel about a takeover that could value the Barbie maker at around $6 billion or more, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Authentic...
5th August 2026
Artificial intelligence has already transformed industries such as finance and education, but one of its most important tests may come in medicine: discovering new drugs.
Pharmaceutic...
2nd August 2026
Malta’s new pay transparency regulations, which came into effect on the 5th of June, aim to strengthen fairness and equality in the workplace, but employers are warning that the rushed i...
2nd October 2026
The Malta Institute of Accountants held its 62nd Annual General Meeting on 24th September 2026 at Villa Arrigo, during which seven of its members were elected to its Council.
The elec...
1st October 2026
The Malta Institute of Accountants held its 62nd Annual General Meeting on 24th September 2026 at Villa Arrigo, during which seven of its members were elected to its Council.
The elec...
3rd September 2026
Fears of renewed escalation gripped the Middle East on Wednesday after the United States and Iran exchanged their biggest barrage since July, with Washington striking Iran's southern co...
4th August 2026
President Donald Trump announced late Saturday that he had called off planned U.S. strikes on Iran, saying renewed negotiations had raised hopes of easing the conflict and reopening ship...
25th June 2026
At least 32 people have been killed and more than 700 injured after two powerful earthquakes — measuring 7.2 and 7.5 — struck central Venezuela seconds apart, causing widespread destruct...
25th February 2026
Thousands of Cuban security personnel have begun leaving Caracas after nearly two decades in Venezuela, as Washington ramps up efforts to dismantle the long standing alliance between the...
14th September 2026
Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he expected Moscow to escalate the war in "in the coming weeks", following Russian strikes that hit a Warsaw-bound train in Ukraine, just two kil...
10th September 2026
The departure from Moldova of a plane carrying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to Norway was delayed when authorities closed the country's airspace over a drone alert, a Moldov...