The return of Spanish Grand Slam record champion Rafael Nadal to the tennis tour has been further delayed.
After his hip flexor injury, which has forced him to take a break since the Australian Open, the 36-year-old will not be able to start the European clay court season in Monte Carlo. “I’m not ready to play at the highest level yet,” Nadal wrote on Twitter.
Nadal has won the Masters in the Principality eleven times, but his last triumph in Monaco was five years ago. The clay court king has only played at the United Cup in Australia and at the Grand Slam tournament in Melbourne this year and has only won one of his four matches.
Most recently, Nadal had fallen out of the top 10 in the world rankings for the first time in 18 years.
He now wants to continue his preparation for the comeback, Nadal said. He still has time until the high point of the clay court season: The French Open begins on May 28th. Last year Nadal won his 14th title in Paris. Overall, it was his 22nd triumph in one of the four Grand Slam tournaments. He shares the record with his Serbian rival Novak Djokovic.