Rafael Nadal Dealing With Back Injury As He Attempts Record Bid At Australian Open

If Rafael Nadal is to win a record 21st Grand Slam championship crown at the Australian Open, he will have to fight through a back injury to do it.

Nadal, 34, withdrew from the ATP Cup in Melbourne on Feb. 2 due to the ailment and is now trying to stay positive with the year’s first Grand Slam event set to begin later Sunday.

“It’s true that for the past 15 days I have been suffering [with a] back [injury],” said Nadal. “I tried to serve again a little bit today. I’m doing everything what’s possible to be ready.

“I did a lot of things to recover. It’s not serious, but the muscle is still tight, so it’s difficult to play with freedom of movement. Let’s hope [the] situation keeps improving. We are doing everything. My physio is here, the doctor [is] here, everybody is helping me in all possible ways. I’m going to keep staying positive and keep doing everything I can.”

Nadal enters 2021 tied with his long-time rival Roger Federer with 20 major titles. With a win Down Under, he can surpass Federer, 39, and become the first player to win each major singles championship twice in the Open Era (since April 1968). His only Australian Open title came in 2009. By contrast, Nadal beat world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in October for his 13th Roland Garros title. He has also captured four U.S. Opens and two Wimbledons.

Federer has not played since last year’s Australian Open and has been sidelined by two right knee procedures, but plans to return at Doha in March and then focus on Wimbledon, the Tokyo Olympics and the U.S. Open.

Nadal has reached at least the Australian Open quarterfinals in 12 of his past 13 appearances. Nadal will begin his campaign on Tuesday against Serbian Laslo Djere.

“It’s not a drama,” said Nadal. “These kind of things can happen. [It’s] happened to me in the past. The only thing that I can do is keep giving myself chances to compete at the beginning of the tournament, and then give myself chances to try to [win the] first round against Djere. Then you win days to try to be better.”