Rafael Nadal's injured rib could alter French Open practice

March 22 (UPI) -- Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal will miss up to six weeks of action due to a rib injury, which puts his preparation in jeopardy for the 2022 French Open, he announced Tuesday on Twitter.

American Taylor Fritz beat Nadal in the BNP Paribas Open men's singles final Sunday in Indian Wells, Calif. Nadal said he played with discomfort in the area and returned to Spain for medical evaluation.

"As it turns out, I have a stress crack in one of my ribs and will be out for 4 to 6 weeks," Nadal wrote. "This is not good news and I did not expect this. I am sunk and sad because after the start of the season, I have had such a good time.

"I reached a very important part of the year with very good feelings and good results. But hey, I've always had that fighting and overcoming spirit and what I will do is be patient and work hard after my recovery. Once again, thank everyone for the support."

Nadal, 35, won his 21st career Grand Slam singles title in January at the Australian Open. That crown gave the Spaniard one more major title than Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic and the most in men's tennis history.

Fritz's victory Sunday snapped a 20-match unbeaten streak for Nadal in 2022. Nadal, who was on the entry list for this week's Miami Open, withdrew two weeks ago to focus on other competitions.

The 2022 French Open is scheduled for May 22 through June 5 at Roland Garros in Paris. Players prepare for the annual clay court Grand Slam with other tournaments on the same surface in the weeks before they go to Paris.

Nadal is among those on the entry list for the 2022 Monte-Carlo Masters. He is an 11-time champion of the clay court tournament. The Monte-Carlo Masters runs from April 10 through 17 at the Monte Carlo Country Club in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France, near the Monaco border.