Rafael Nadal is back from the court.
spanish tennis star announced on Wednesday “It is with great regret that I will withdraw from the 2024 BNP Paribas Open before playing in the first round.”
Nadal, who just defeated Carlos Alcaraz at the Netflix Slam on Sunday, told X on Wednesday that he was not ready to play in California.
He was scheduled to play Milos Raonic at the Paribas Open on Thursday night.
“I have been training hard and as you all know I took the test this weekend, but I don’t think I am ready to play at the highest level in such an important tournament,” Nadal wrote. Ta. “This is not an easy decision, in fact it is a difficult one, but I cannot lie to myself or my thousands of fans.
“We will miss you all, but we are confident that the tournament will be a great success.”
Nadal injured his hip flexor at the Australian Open last January and underwent surgery in June.
He has been mostly off the court since then, missing the Australian Open in January after injuring a muscle in his surgically repaired hip during a quarter-final match at the Brisbane International.
He then withdrew from the Qatar Open in February and said he was focused on staying healthy and preparing for the Paribas Open.
It is unclear when Nadal, whose tennis future is currently in doubt, will return to the court this year.
Last May, he said 2024 was likely to be the last year of his career.
