Rafael Nadal tests positive for Covid-19 following Abu Dhabi tournament
Rafael Nadal has tested positive for Covid-19 after arriving back in Spain from Abu Dhabi, the 20-time grand slam champion said on Monday.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion said he was having some “unpleasant moments” but was hoping to feel better soon and would keep people informed about his plans over future tournaments.
Nadal lost 3-6, 5-7 to Andy Murray in the semi-final of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi on Friday. The match was the 35-year-old’s first since a foot injury kept him out of action for a large portion of the 2021 season.
Nadal was working his way towards competing at the Australian Open, which begins in Melbourne on 17 January, but the positive Covid test has cast doubt on him participating in the tournament.
It was Nadal’s first tournament appearance since the Citi Open in Washington in August.
In a Twitter thread, the 35-year-old said he had tested positive for the virus following a PCR test taken on arrival back in Spain.
“I wanted to announce that on my return home after playing the Abu Dhabi tournament, I have tested positive for COVID in the PCR test that has been performed on me when I arrived in Spain,” he said.
Nadal added that he had tested negative at all times when he was in Kuwait and Abu Dhabi and had last tested negative on Friday.
Nadal spent four months on the sidelines with a foot injury. He was knocked out at Roland Garros in the semifinals and was forced to pull out of Wimbledon, the Tokyo Olympics and the US Open.
He had said he could not guarantee he would make the trip for the Australian Open, which begins on Jan. 17.
