Former 2014 champion Rafael Nadal has confirmed his withdrawal from next week's ATP 250 event in Doha due to not being in the best physical condition.
Nadal said he was not ready to compete despite recovering from his injury. "I love Doha because I always receive a lot of love there. But I cannot compete this year. I will continue to work towards the friendly match in Las Vegas and the tournament in Indian Wells," he said.
Nadal has not played since playing three matches at the Brisbane International in January. Photo: ATP
According to Spanish media, the torn muscle injury Nadal suffered before the Australian Open has recovered. The 37-year-old tennis player has been training normally in recent weeks but has not felt really comfortable. According to the schedule, Nadal will play an exhibition match against Carlos Alcaraz in Las Vegas on March 3, then participate in the Masters 1000 in Indian Wells.
"Maybe I've gone a little too far in training," Nadal said of his lack of fitness. "My goal from the start was to enter the clay season in the best possible condition. I'm doing everything I can to enjoy the clay season."
According to Tennis365, the match between Nadal and Alcaraz was broadcast live globally on Netflix, attracting a large audience. Tickets to watch the event live were sold for $3,000 for prime seats and were sold out. Meanwhile, tickets for the stands were also up to $500 and there were not many empty seats left.
Qatar Open organizers were disappointed with Nadal's absence, having previously displayed posters of him. Nadal has good relations with Middle Eastern countries, having recently accepted an ambassadorship in Saudi Arabia and running a tennis academy in Kuwait.
Without former champion Nadal, the Qatar Open still has Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, Gael Monfils and Andy Murray. Of these, Medvedev is the highest seed and the defending champion, while Murray was last year's runner-up.
World number one Novak Djokovic has won twice in Qatar but has often chosen the Dubai Championship in recent years. The ATP 500 tournament takes place a week after the Qatar Open and Nole has won there five times. Djokovic has just announced that he will not compete in the Dubai Championship this year to focus on the Masters 1000 in Indian Wells.
Vy Anh
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