MADRID: Rafael Nadal’s aim to win his first title of 2019 at the Madrid Open has encountered a blip after he canceled a scheduled press conference at the tournament on Monday.
It is understood that the world no.2 has postponed his appearence due to illness. Concerns began yesterday after Nadal withdrew from a practice session. According to Spanish newspaper Marca, other players have also been hit with the same virus. Although it is unclear as to what that is.
Nadal was scheduled to speak with the media at 12:30 local time, but it has now been delayed until tomorrow. Although the time is not confirmed yet. On the official practice schedule, Nadal it down to train on court 13 with his coach at 16:00 today. However, it is unclear if he will attend and may instead opt to rest a bit more.
The 11-time French open champion enters the tournament in search of an elevation in his form. For the first time since 2015, he has failed to win either Monte Carlo or Barcelona. Overall, he has a 17-4 winning record so far this season.
“I think I’ve done the hardest thing, lay a positive foundation to get ahead, a few days ago the situation was much more complicated,” Nadal said following his loss to Dominic Thiem in Barcelona. “I have once again enjoyed playing tennis and lost to a top-level opponent. I’ve been competitive until the end, but I’ve had to play more games like that to have a clearer option for victory.”
It is understood that Nadal’s current health is being monitored by Dr. Angel Ruiz Cotorro. He is set to begin his Madrid campaign on Wednesday against Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime. Nadal is the most successful player in the history of the tournament with five trophies to his name. He has also featured in a record eight finals with the last occurring in 2017.
Update
Since the announcement, Nadal has attended his practice session at the venue. The session lasted just over an took and took place on court 13.
https://twitter.com/MutuaMadridOpen/status/1125387819017547778
