Injuries not fear of opponents responsible for Nadal’s withdrawal from major tournaments

Former world number one Mats Wilander has stated that Spain’s legendary tennis player Rafael Nadal is ‘not scared’ of losing and that the only reason behind his withdrawal from multiple events this year is his fitness concerns.

The 37-year-old is often regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of men’s tennis in the singles category, having won as many as 24 Grand Slam titles.

Nadal recently made a return to professional tennis after a gap of nearly one year but once again injured himself during the Brisbane International. It was for this reason, he decided not to take part in the Australian Open, Indian Wells, and now in Miami Open.

Wilander was recently quoted in a report where he stated that the only reason behind Nadal’s absence from these mega events is his fitness concerns.

"When you see that match in Las Vegas and you see that Rafa is out and he’s been practicing, he’s playing golf and all that, you think, ‘Okay, well he must be healthy’. And then when he pulls out, it’s also clear that, no, he isn’t healthy,” he said.

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"There’s no chance that if Rafa goes to Indian Wells early just like he did to Australia when he went to Brisbane – and he was looking really good in a couple of matches, and then he has to pull out – it’s not like he’s scared, he’s injured.

"Is this the last year for Rafa? Maybe. Most probably. I’m not sure, but certainly, we haven’t seen the last of him playing a competitive match when he’s feeling 100%. I think he’s still waiting for that moment."