Former world number one tennis star Rafael Nadal has announced that he has tested positive for COVID-19 on his return from Abu Dhabi after playing a tournament there.
Nadal tweeted that he had gotten negative tests in both Kuwait and Abu Dhabi every two days, the last one coming on Saturday.
“I am having some unpleasant moments but I hope that I will improve little by little. I am now homebound and have reported the result to those who have been in contact with me,” he said.
“As a consequence of the situation, I have to have total flexibility with my calendar and I will analyze my options depending on my evolution.
I will keep you informed of any decisions about my future tournaments!”
Hola a todos. Quería anunciaros que en mi regreso a casa tras disputar el torneo de Abu Dhabi, he dado positivo por COVID en la prueba PCR que se me ha realizado al llegar a España.
— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) December 20, 2021
Nadal's positive test comes less than a month ahead of his big return to Grand Slam tennis at the Australian Open. Nadal has spent several months on the sidelines with a recurring foot injury that required surgery.
The 35-year-old made his first appearance on court in an exhibition match in Abu Dhabi, which was just his second match since the French Open.
The Spaniard was looking to add to his 20 Grand Slams down under, with Roger Federer ruled out and Novak Djokovic's participation uncertain. All three of them are on 20 slams each.
But Nadal's availability is now under a cloud again. It could be difficult for him to recover and train in time for the Australian Open starting January 17.
