Beaten Australian Open finalist Rafael Nadal has been diagnosed with a back muscle strain but the injury isn't expected to affect his playing schedule.
World No.1 Nadal underwent tests at a clinic in Barcelona a day after arriving home from the year's first grand slam in Melbourne, where he was upset in four sets in the final by Stanislas Wawrinka.
After being clearly outplayed in the first set of Sunday's final, Nadal began experiencing sharp pain in his back early in the second set and was unable to serve or move as effectively as usual.
The 13-time grand slam champion will undergo intensive physiotherapy and has been prescribed anti-inflammatory medication. He will be examined again on Monday to evaluate whether he can gradually resume training.
Like last year, when Nadal was making a comeback from a serious knee injury, the Spaniard plans to play two lower-tier clay-court events in South America in February.
This time around, he will compete in Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro instead of Vina del Mar, Chile, and Sao Paulo.
Nadal will then head to the United States in March to defend his title at Indian Wells then he plans to play the Miami Masters, an event he skipped last season.
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