Rafael Nadal has pulled out of the Miami Open next week as he continues to battle an injury he has carried from before the Australian Open. The world No 3 was struggling with back pain prior to the first Grand Slam of the season which forced him to withdraw from his country’s two ATP Cup matches.
He battled through to the quarter-finals of the Australian Open before losing a five-set thriller to Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Nadal has since pulled out of tournaments in Rotterdam and Qatar with the view of returning in Miami.
But the Florida event will come too soon for the 20-time Grand Slam champion.
“Sad to announce that I won’t be playing in Miami, a city that I love,” the Spaniard tweeted.
“I need to fully recover and get ready for the clay court season in Europe.
“Special message to my fans in the US and in particular to the great Spanish speaking community FL who always give me a great support!”
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