The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, Rafael Nadal has posted a statement on X, announcing that he will not be taking part at the Qatar Open scheduled from 19-24 February.
‘’I would have loved to play in Doha, where the tournament team as well as the amazing Qatar fans have always supported me greatly. Unfortunately, I am not ready to compete, and I won’t be able to come to Doha where I really wanted to be and play again,’’ read the post.
The former world number one won two matches in Brisbane ahead of the Australian Open last month but was forced to pull out of this season’s first Grand Slam during a quarter-final loss to Jordan Thompson, after complaining about a pain in his upper left thigh.
The Spaniard was devastated by the ordeal, describing it as a setback.
He however hopes to make a return for the Indian Wells tournament to be held next month in California, USA.
“I am 100% confident of being in Indian Wells, it’s a very special tournament for me. I don’t know if it’s going to be the last time I play in it, so I would like to be in Indian Wells for sure,” added Nadal.
Due to his injury challenges, fans have begun to anticipate his retirement sooner than expected.
However, Nadal has not been able to make any official announcements on the timeline of hanging up his racket from professional tennis.
“What I want to play and what I am going to play is very different. I give myself a few months of caution, you know that things can happen. So, I can’t define things months in advance after a year without competing,’’ explained Nadal.
