Rafael Nadal said Wednesday he is unsure if he will be ready to return to action in Doha next week after he withdrew from the Australian Open with a muscle tear.<\/p>\n
The Spaniard missed most of last year with a hip injury sustained in Melbourne but made his comeback at the Brisbane International in the lead-up to this year\u2019s Australian Open.<\/p>\n
However, a small muscle tear forced the 37-year-old to pull out of the season\u2019s first Grand Slam.<\/p>\n
ALSO READ: PTPA is taking \u2018giant strides\u2019 despite friction with ATP: Former Wimbledon doubles champion Pospisil<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s going to be very tight for Doha. I\u2019ve had some discomfort these past few weeks, and I\u2019m a bit on the limit,\u201d Nadal said in an interview with\u00a0 La Sexta television<\/i>\u00a0that will be broadcast in full later Wednesday.<\/p>\n \u201cAt this point, every blow I take, every injury, is a setback not only in tennis and physically but also mentally.\u201d<\/p>\n The 22-time Grand Slam winner is far more optimistic about playing in Indian Wells, the year\u2019s first Masters 1000 event, which runs from March 6-17 in the California desert.<\/p>\n \u201cI am 100% confident of being in Indian Wells, it\u2019s a very special tournament for me. I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s going to be the last time I play in it, so I would like to be in Indian Wells, for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n Nadal was named on the entry list last month for the Qatar Open, to be held February 19-24.<\/p>\n \u201cI would love to be in Doha, what I know is that it\u2019s cutting it fine. I see the decision for Doha more at the last minute. I will travel to Indian Wells for sure if there is nothing wrong,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n