Rafael Nadal is OUT of the Australian Open after making a brutally honest admission ahead of the tournament in Melbourne

Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the Australian Open in heartbreaking scenes for tennis fans.

Nadal, 37, revealed he had ‘a little problem’ during his three-set defeat to Jordan Thompson in Brisbane on Friday night and as a result cannot ‘compete at the maximum level’ in Melbourne.

“Hello everyone, during my last match in Brisbane I had a small problem with a muscle which, as you know, worried me,” he said in a statement on Twitter.

‘Once I got to Melbourne I had the chance to do an MRI and I have a micro tear in a muscle, not in the same part where I had the injury and that’s good news.

‘Right now I’m not ready to compete at the maximum level in five-set matches. I’m flying back to Spain to see my doctor, get treatment and rest.’

The 37-year-old picked up an injury during his defeat to Jordan Thompson in Brisbane

Nadal announced on Twitter that he was flying home after “a small problem” arose

Tennis fans were excited at the prospect of Nadal returning to the main stage after almost a year out of action. The 37-year-old suffered a career-threatening hip injury that required surgery, leaving many outsiders fearful for his tennis future.

The Spaniard had made an emphatic return in Brisbane with stunning wins over Dominic Thiem and Jason Kubler before losing to Thompson in the quarter-finals on Friday.

Nadal had outlined his ambitions for a farewell tour in 2024, but this latest injury setback is a major obstacle to those plans.

“I have been working very hard all year for this comeback and as I have always said, my goal is to be at my best level in three months,” he added.

“Despite the sad news that I will not be able to play in front of the great crowd in Melbourne, this is not very bad news and we all remain positive about the evolution of the season.

Fans were excited about Nadal’s comeback after spending most of 2023 on the sidelines

‘I really wanted to play here in Australia and I’ve had the opportunity to play a few games which made me very happy and positive. Thank you all for the support and see you soon! Rafa.’

Nadal’s absence is a major blow to tournament director Craig Tilley, who had hoped for a star-studded lineup in Melbourne after Novak Djokovic stormed through his competition last year.

The Spaniard’s departure follows Nick Kyrgios’ withdrawal from the tournament last month.

The 28-year-old had a fantastic 2022 season, reaching the Wimbledon final against Novak Djokovic and winning the Australian Open doubles with good friend Thanasi Kokkinakis.

However, in 2023 he suffered a miserable series of injuries that limited him to only one professional match all year, a straight defeat to China’s Wu Yibing at the Stuttgart Open in June.

The Australian star was not named in the main draw on Thursday and confirmed on his newly created OnlyFans account that he will miss the local grand slam due to an ongoing wrist problem.

Nadal joins Nick Kyrgios on the sidelines after the Australian dropped out at the end of last year

“Hey guys, Nick Kyrgios here, obviously had a really tough year with injury, had that knee surgery and came back a little early (which set me back a little bit, obviously had some wrist issues),” Kyrgios said.

“So this is a very disappointing time for me, but yes, I will not be able to participate in the 2024 Australian Open.

“Obviously it’s heartbreaking, I’ve had so many great memories there and I just want to get back to playing at the top of my game and doing well, and I just need a little more time.

‘I was so close to winning a grand slam. I want to make sure my body gets the time it needs to come back, so be patient.”