Rafael Nadal will miss the Australian Open after the Spaniard suffered a small muscle tear during his comeback from a long injury layoff at the Brisbane International last week, the 22-times Grand Slam champion said on January 7.
Nadal made his long-awaited comeback in Brisbane after spending almost a year on the sidelines with a hip flexor injury sustained during his second round defeat to Mackenzie McDonald in last year's Australian Open.
The 37-year-old did not compete again last season after undergoing surgery in June and sustained an upper left leg issue during his defeat by Jordan Thompson in the quarter-finals of the tune-up event for the Jan. 14-28 Melbourne Park major.
