Rafael Nadal Withdraws From Fever-Tree Championships, Wimbledon Participation Remains Questionable

Rafael Nadal confirmed Wednesday he will skip the Fever-Tree Championships at the Queen’s Club in London on the advice of his doctors.

The Spaniard was scheduled to play the tournament — he last won in 2008 — but admitted a long clay court season has taken a toll on his body. Nadal is keen to stay injury free and as such does not want to overload his schedule.

The 32-year-old suffered a hip injury during the Australian Open in January this year after which he did not return to court until Spain’s Davis Cup win over Germany in April. Nadal’s first ATP tournament of the year was at the Monte Carlo Masters the same month.

The 17-time men’s singles Grand Slam champion played four events on clay, winning in Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Rome and the French Open. His only loss came in the quarter-finals of the Madrid Open at the hands of Dominic Thiem.

Nadal hinted he could skip the grass court event in London after his 11th triumph at Roland Garros on Sunday. It remains to be seen if he will return in time for the Wimbledon Championships, which begin on July 2.

“Queen’s is a great event, I have happy memories of winning the title in 2008 and I wanted to come back this year,” Nadal said after announcing his withdrawal, as quoted on the tournament’s official site. “But it has been a very long clay court season for me with great results. I would like to say sorry to the tournament organisers and most of all to the fans that were hoping to see me play, but I have spoken to my doctors and I need to listen to what my body is telling me.”

“Very sorry to announce this withdrawal but I have to take some rest according to my doctor after q long clay court season. Hope to see you next year at this great tennis and social event!” the Spaniard added via his official Twitter account.

Tournament director Stephen Farrow admitted it was a disappointment not to have the world’s top ranked player at the event. But he wished the Spaniard well and hoped he would return in the future.

However, Farrow was delighted Nadal’s absence will be compensated by Novak Djokovic’s addition after the Serbian took a late wild card to play the event. The former world number one will join a strong lineup that includes Andy Murray, who is hoping to make a comeback from a lengthy injury absence, along with Juan Martin del Potro, Marin Cilic and Stan Wawrinka.

“We are obviously disappointed that Rafa has decided that he is unable to play this year, but we wish him well and hope to see him on our courts in the future,” Farrow said. “At the same time, we are thrilled to have added Novak Djokovic to a line-up that already includes so many of the best players in the world. We remain on track for a fantastic week of tennis at the Fever-Tree Championships and we can’t wait to get started.”