Rafael Nadal’s preparation for Madrid Open hit a roadblock after the Spaniard was diagnosed with an ear infection that forced him to delay his opening match at the clay court tournament.
Nadal, a four-time former champion, had a bye in the first round and was to play his second-round match against Fabio Fognini on Tuesday. But the match was pushed to Wednesday as Nadal was suffering from dizziness due to the infection.
“On Friday I woke up at three in the morning with pain, a discomfort I had never felt before,” the 14-times grand slam winner told a news conference on Monday. “I went to the doctor and he told me I had an ear infection. It’s nothing important but it is bothering me, it has caused me headaches and I’ve been feeling dizzy. Today I felt better and was able to train well for two hours. My aim and the tournament’s was to start on Tuesday but after this it’s better to wait a day and start on Wednesday,” he added.
Fognini has three career wins over the Spaniard, including one at the 2015 US Open. If he gets past Fognini, Nadal could face Australian Nick Kyrgios in the third round, with Milos Raonic or David Goffin among his potential quarter-final opponents.
“The draw isn’t ideal but the fact I’m playing at home is a plus,” added the Spaniard. “I’m very happy with my start to the year, and not just the clay court season. These have been very good months since I started playing on clay because I’ve been able to win tournaments after losing finals.”
Nadal is seeking a third consecutive clay court title of the season after winning the Barcelona Open and Monte Carlo Masters.
He didn’t play much last season because of a wrist injury, but has made a strong comeback winning 10 consecutive matches and 21 of his last 22 sets. Earlier in the year, he had finished as the runner-up in the finals of the Australian Open, Mexican Open Miami Open. He will be aiming for his 15th Grand Slam title at the French Open.
“I needed to win a title after playing a few finals. I’m very happy for having achieved that. I think what I have achieved in Monte Carlo and Barcelona is something great. It’s something very difficult to do. But we are in another very important event here, and we have to leave that in the past.” Nadal said ahead of the Madrid Open.
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