Rafael Nadal did not participate in this year’s Australian Open due to an injury sustained in Brisbane. The Iberian announced that he will miss another important tournament.

Rafael Nadal announced that he will not participate in the ATP Doha

22-time Grand Slam winner Rafa returned after a year’s absence (due to a hip problem) but was injured again in a match loss to Jordan Thompson.

Nadal (37 years old) announced that he received a microtear of a muscle, and was initially included in the list of participants of the Qatar Open (February 19-24).

The Spaniard, currently ranked 646th in the world, won the tournament in Doha in 2014 (after a final with Gael Monfils).

Unfortunately, Nadal said that the injury is still bothering him and that he will not participate in this year’s edition in Doha.

“I would love to play in Doha, where the team of the tournament, as well as the wonderful fans in Qatar, have always been very supportive. Unfortunately, I am not ready to compete and will not be able to come to Doha, where I really wanted to be and play again after that unforgettable victory in 2014.

I will focus on continuing to work to be ready for the Las Vegas show and the incredible tournament in Indian Wells.” Nadal said, reports ATPTour.

Know:

• At the age of 37, Rafael Nadal has won 1,070 career victories and lost 221 times.

• He has 92 ATP titles won over a period of time, and 22 of them are Grand Slam tournaments (two titles behind record holder Novak Djokovic).

• Before the tournament in Brisbane, Nadal played his last official match at the Australian Open early last year when he lost to Mackenzie Macdonald in the second round.

• Rafa has since missed the entire 2023 season with hip problems and underwent surgery last June.

• Although Novak Djokovic, one of his biggest rivals in his career, has said that Rafa will return to win major titles, the Spaniard believes that he is not ready to win ATP titles at the moment.