Rafael Nadal revealed he underwent right hand surgery on Friday, jokingly “withdrawing” from the 2026 Australian Open despite having already retired from the game in 2024.
“Looks like I won’t be able to play the @AustralianOpen 2026 😂,” tweeted the 22-time Grand Slam champion.
“I had to undergo hand surgery because of an issue I’d been dealing with for a long time, but I hope to be fine soon! 🤗”
Me parece que no podré jugar el @australianopen en enero 😂
— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) December 12, 2025
He tenido que someterme a una intervención en la mano por un problema que venía arrastrando desde hace mucho tiempo, ¡pero espero estar bien pronto! 🤗
Looks like I won’t be able to play the @AustralianOpen 2026 😂
I… pic.twitter.com/XIizIdOtOl
According to a statement provided by Nadal’s longtime publicist Benito Pérez-Barbadillo, Nadal “underwent a surgical procedure yesterday at the Teknon Medical Center in Barcelona, where surgery was performed on his right hand due to severe osteoarthritis of the trapeziometacarpal joint.
“The procedure, carried out under the supervision of Ángel Ruiz-Cotorro, Rafa Nadal’s physician, together with Dr. Vilaro, and performed by Dr. Alex Lluch, consisted of an arthroplasty aimed at relieving pain and restoring mobility of the joint.”
Nadal played the final match of an illustrious tennis career last fall at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals, having suffered foot and hip injuries—the latter requiring surgery—in the final years of his career.
The 14-time Roland Garros champion was feted in Paris this spring, joined by career-long rivals Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Andy Murray on Court Philippe-Chatrier for a star-studded retirement ceremony. At the time, the soon-to-be 39-year-old revealed he had been off the court for eight months, but promised to make a return to action in some capacity in the future.
“I need to give myself a time of disconnection, you know, because at the end, play exhibitions is not only go there and play the match, it's about all the preparation that requires that,” said Nadal. “When you play an exhibition you want to show a good level of tennis for the fans and for everybody who organize.”
At the 2025 Laver Cup in September, Federer and Team8 CEO Tony Godisck each teased a potential exhibition series that would reunite him and Nadal for a “Fedal Tour.”
“Maybe with a seniors tour, we’ve had a little of that in tennis…but there’s a lot of appetite for seeing past champions in tennis, as well. I could maybe look into that with Rafa, for sure.”
Those plans would appear to be on hold at least for the time being as Nadal recovers from this latest procedure.
