Rafael Nadal slams Monte Carlo rumours: ‘I don’t know when I’ll play again’

Rafael Nadal has addressed rumours that he will return to action at the Monte Carlo Masters next month, insisting that he ‘can’t confirm’ he attend the tournament.

Nadal has been sidelined since January after a leg injury contributed to his second-round exit at the Australian Open at the hands of Mackenzie McDonald as well as his dropping out of the ATP Top 10 for the first time since 2005.

After the early exit from Australia, tests revealed that the 22-time Grand Slam champion had sustained a grade two tear to his iliopsoas muscle and was expected to be out for six to eight weeks.

Speculation that Nadal would make his comeback at the Monte Carlo Masters increased after the tournaments Twitter account teased that the Spaniard could ‘win his 12th trophy in Monte Carlo despite his last injury’ in a tweet last week.

However, Nadal has slammed the rumours and insisted that he ‘can’t confirm’ his attendance at the clay-court event.

‘’I don't know who gets this information,” Nadal told Spanish newspaper Marca.

“Obviously, if it were true, I would confirm it, but unfortunately, I can't. I'm following my course and I don't know when I'll play again, that's the truth.

“I'm in a phase of increasing work. If I knew when I was going to return, I would say so, but I don't know.

"I can't confirm that I will play in Monte Carlo, things are seen day by day. I prefer to say things when I really know them.’’

With the French Open looming, it is likely Nadal will want to avoid overdoing it and therefore put his quest for a 15^th title at the tournament in jeopardy.

It remains to be seen whether Nadal will compete in the clay-court events in Madrid and Rome prior to Roland Garros.