We may well have to wait for clay to see Rafael Nadal play again.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion declined a Dubai wild card and will skip next week’s Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
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Nadal, who previously with drew from Acapulco and Rotterdam due to the back injury he sustained at the Australian Open, announced on social media “I don’t think I am ready to play yet.”
I would like to thank the @DDFTennis for the wild card invitation sent to me. We seriously thought about coming to play, but I don’t think I am ready to play yet.
Once again thanks to the tournament’s kind invitation and best of luck with the tournament
🙏
— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) March 11, 2021
And… special thanks to Tournament Director Salah Talak since I am aware of his efforts to ensure a smooth arrival to play Dubai during this unprecedented Coronavirus pandemic and difficult times for all 🙏🙏🙏
— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) March 11, 2021
“I would like to thank Dubai Duty Free Tennis for the invitation they have sent me,” Nadal wrote on Twitter. “We had seriously thought about going to play, but I don’t think I’m ready to play yet. Again, thank you very much to the tournament for the invitation and a lot of luck with the competition.
“And a special thank you to tournament director Salah Talak, as I am aware of his efforts to ensure a smooth arrival to play in Dubai during this unprecedented coronavirus pandemic and in these difficult times for all.”
Though the 13-time Roland Garros champion remains on the entry list for this month’s Miami Open, there is growing speculation Nadal will join rival Roger Federer in pulling out of Miami, one of the few Masters events the Spaniard has yet to win. Nadal’s team is reportedly concerned extended travel time could be troublesome for his back.
Photo credit: Babolat