Surgery likely to rule Nadal out for season

Rafael Nadal’s season is all but over after he underwent surgery on a hip muscle which will keep him out of action for an estimated five months. The 14-time French Open champion, who has won a men’s joint-record 22 majors, has been out of action since January after hurting a hip flexor in his second-round match at the Australian Open. The 37-year-old (left) has said 2024 is likely to be his last year as a professional player. The Spaniard was initially set to miss up to eight weeks but skipped clay-court events in Madrid and Rome to build his fitness.