US Open: Rafa Nadal gets a boost in battle with knee injury

By IAIN ROGERS
Published on 06/09/2012 04:19

Rafa Nadal could be back on a tennis court in about a month after intense physiotherapy and laser treatment on his troublesome knee, Spanish tennis federation (RFET) doctor Angel Ruiz-Cotorro said yesterday.

The world No 3 has not played since losing to Czech Lukas Rosol in the second round at Wimbledon in June and has been suffering from a partial tear of the patella tendon and an inflammation of the Hoffa’s fat pad in his left knee.

The 26-year-old former world No 1, who was unable to defend his Olympic title in London and had to withdraw from the US Open, had said on Monday that he would likely be out for another two months.

“We have completely ruled out surgery,” Ruiz-Cotorro said at a news conference in Barcelona.

“During the next month we’ll be doing training with a lot of physiotherapy combined with hydrotherapy and laser and we’ll see how he progresses,” he added.

“We believe that, within two months, the tendon will be in what we consider a normal state.

“In a month’s time, if the tests and his progress are positive, he can get back to work on the court. But that’s not the main goal, that is for the tendon to recover with the same strength it had.”

Ruiz-Cotorro said Nadal’s injury would not necessarily plague him for the rest of his career and he was aware of similar cases where the tendon had completely healed.

“It won’t necessarily drag on, this injury,” he said. “He wants to play when he can do so in perfect condition and not just for one tournament but to have continuity.

“When they tell you you can’t play such important tournaments you are never pleased but now he is keen to recover and return as soon as possible.”

On Monday, Nadal had said: “I really want to be back competing and enjoying the tennis tour, but I have many years in front of me and my knee needs some rest.

“I will be back when I have no pain and able to compete with guarantees. I feel better after the meeting with my doctors and happy knowing that the evolution of the past weeks has been positive and surgery has been avoided. I will continue to work with the plan my doctors have established to be able to compete as soon as possible in the right conditions.”