Is Rafael Nadal playing at the 2022 Monte-Carlo Masters?

With the 2022 Monte-Carlo Masters set to begin shortly, Rafael Nadal is conspicuous by his absence. He's the most decorated champion in the history of the tournament, winning a record 11 titles, but he won't be participating this year due to a rib stress fracture.

Nadal made a dream start to the 2022 season, winning his 89th career title at the Melbourne Summer Set. The Spaniard then defied all odds and staged an incredible comeback in the Australian Open final to win his 21st Grand Slam. Nadal continued his unbeaten run at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel, winning his third title of the year and improving his record to 15-0 in 2022.

Nadal carried this momentum into the Indian Wells Open as well. The former World No. 1 was tested right from the start and picked up a rib injury during his semi-final clash against Carlos Alcaraz.

Nadal's winning streak came to an end in the final against Taylor Fritz. It was later revealed that the Spaniard suffered a stress fracture to his rib, forcing him to the sidelines for four to six weeks.

The 21-time Major champion withdrew from the Monte-Carlo Masters shortly after the diagnosis. He's also likely to skip the Barcelona Open, a tournament he has won a whopping 12 times, although there's no news about that as yet.

When is Rafael Nadal likely to return to action?

Rafael Nadal at the 2017 Mutua Madrid Open.

Rafael Nadal is expected to resume playing in four to six weeks. Given this timeline, he's likely to make a comeback at the Madrid Open. The men's first-round matches at the tournament are set to begin on May 1. Barring any potential setbacks, the Spaniard should be able to compete in his home country.

Nadal was seen training at the gym recently, indicating that his recovery is going rather well. The former World No. 1 was spotted by Guillaume Delamarre, a senior French ITF player.

"Work in progress. Nether give up. Preparing to come back. For the boss and also for me," wrote Delamarre.

While there's a possibility of Nadal recovering ahead of schedule, it's unlikely that he'll push himself to return to competitive action in a haste. Staying healthy for Roland Garros, where he's chasing a record 14th title, will be his priority. Keeping this in mind, he could even skip the Madrid Open and return to action in Rome for the Italian Open.