Rafael Nadal ends season because of foot injury, says 'I've been suffering'
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"Honestly, I've been suffering a lot more than I should with my foot for a year and I need to take some time," said Nadal
Rafael Nadal has announced that he is ending his season because of a foot injury that has troubled him since his defeat in the semi-finals at the French Open.
Taking to his official Twitter handle, Nadal wrote, "Hello everyone, I wanted to inform you that unfortunately I have to end the 2021 season."
Honestly, I have been suffering much more than I should with my foot for a year and I need to take some time... to find a solution to this problem or at least improve it in order to continue to have options for the next few years," Nadal said.
"I'm with the maximum enthusiasm and predisposition to do whatever it takes to recover the best possible shape to keep competing for the things that really motivate me.
"I'm convinced that with the recovery of the foot and obviously a very important daily effort... this can be achieved. I will work as hard as I can to make it happen."
Following his defeat to Novak Djokovic at Roland Garros, Nadal skipped Wimbledon and the Olympics before making a return to the courts in Washington earlier this month.
He beat Jack Sock but then slipped to a three-set defeat at the hands of South Africa's Lloyd Harris, after which the 35-year-old declared that "the foot was better".
However, that proved to be premature as he then pulled out of the event in Toronto saying it was "not a happy situation" and is missing from the current tournament in Cincinatti, the traditional curtain-raiser for the US Open which starts on August 30.
Nadal said that he wanted to give his foot time to heal so that he could come back fully competitive in 2022.
"It is with the greatest enthusiasm that I will do everything I can to find the best possible form and return to competition with the objectives that are most important to me," he continued on Friday.
“I am convinced that I can achieve this if my foot heals and, of course, with great daily effort. I will work as much as I can to make it so.
"I promise to work hard to try and continue to benefit from this sport for a while longer."
(with inputs from agencies)