Rafael Nadal said on Tuesday he would be out of action for between four and six weeks with a stress fracture in one of his ribs.

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The Spaniard will be ruled out of the Monte Carlo and Barcelona tournaments although he could potentially return for the Madrid Masters on May 1-8.

Nadal, who won the Australian Open title this year, lost to American Taylor Fritz in the final of the Indian Wells Masters on Sunday, ending his perfect 20-0 run to start 2022.

He said he had played Indian Wells with "discomfort" and so had undergone medical checks on his return to Spain.

"I have a stress fracture in one of my ribs and will be out for 4 to 6 weeks," Nadal said.