April 14, (THEWILL) – Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the Barcelona Open due to a muscular injury in his left leg.
The 22-time Grand Slam winner has been out of the contention since the Australian Open and had already withdrawn from several other competitions, including Indian Wells, the Miami Open, and the Monte Carlo Masters. He is still not ready to compete yet.
“Barcelona is a special tournament for me because it’s my adopted club, and because playing at home is always a unique feeling,” Nadal wrote on Instagram. “I’m still not prepared, and therefore I’m still in my preparation process for the return to competition. Good luck to my friend [and tournament director] David Ferrer and his whole team for this edition of the Godo that will surely be a success as always on all levels.”
Nadal has fallen out of the top 10 in the ATP rankings for the first time since 2005 due to his absence from the court. However, he has won 14 French Open titles and is expected to participate when the event begins on May 28.
Nadal will target a return at either of the Masters 1000 events from the above list – Madrid or Rome – ahead of a 15th tilt at Roland Garros glory.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
