Tennis star Rafael Nadal tests positive for Covid-19 after Abu Dhabi event: ‘I’m having some unpleasant moments’

Tennis great Rafael Nadal on Monday announced that he has tested positive for Covid-19 upon his arrival in Spain having recently played an exhibition event in Dubai. In a statement released, Nadal informed that his RT-PCR test has returned positive and that he is experiencing ‘unpleasant moments’.

“Hi all. I wanted to announce that on my return home after playing the Abu Dhabi tournament, I have tested positive for Covid in the PCR test that was performed on me when I arrived in Spain,” Nadal said in a statement.

“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.”

The event Nadal took place in at Dubai was the Mubadala World Tennis Championship, and it was the 35-year-old’s first step towards returning to the court post injury. Recently, Nadal expressed doubts over his participation in the Australian Open starting next month, saying he wasn’t sure if he would return to Melbourne. And now that Nadal has been rocked by Covid, the 20-time Grand Slam winner has informed that he will monitor his next steps carefully.

“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. Thank you all in advance for your support and understanding,” the statement further read.