MotoGP star Marquez working with Rafael Nadal’s doctor on arm recovery

Marquez crashed heavily during the 2020 Spanish Grand Prix and broke his right humerus, which required immediate surgery.

An attempt to comeback for the following week’s Andalusian GP led to him further aggravating the injury and a second surgery was required.

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This resulted in an infection that slowed the healing process and was not diagnosed until he had a third operation in December that year having missed the whole MotoGP season.

He returned to action last season and managed to win three races, but struggled with his right shoulder all year and continues to have some limitations – with Honda boss Alberto Puig admitting earlier this week that he doesn’t expect Marquez will be 100% fit in 2022.

In an interview with Autosport’s Spanish language sister website Motorsport.es, Marquez confirmed he is now working with Nadal’s doctor Angel Ruiz Cotorro alongside the surgeon who performed his three operations. 

“With Samuel Antuna, the doctor who operated on me, we decided to also work with Angel Cotorro, who is the doctor of the Spanish Tennis Team,” Marquez said.

“With him there is a very good group, which I visited several times this winter, and in which there is a physiotherapist, a physical trainer and other roles.

“At the same time, I'm still working with my usual trainer, but he doesn't have as much experience in these specific injuries.

Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team

Photo by: Repsol Media

“He could not know exactly how my shoulder was inside, or in what position a particular nerve had been left after the operation.

“Now, after some exhaustive analyses carried out by Dr. Cotorro's team, we understand many more things.

“It's been a year and a half since I injured my arm, but I still have some limitations that are reflected in the shoulder.

“The moment the area becomes inflamed, then the pain comes, and from there I lose strength.

“This season I want to stabilise the performance of that area.”

Marquez spent the last winter recovering from a double vision issue which was triggered by a concussion suffered in a training incident ahead of the Algarve GP.

He was given the all-clear to return to riding last month and resumed bike training two weeks before the Sepang pre-season test – in which he was eighth-fastest overall on Honda’s radically revised RC213V.