Four-time US Open champion Rafael Nadal has announced that he will miss the rest of the 2021 season, including the US Open, due to a recurring foot injury.
The former world No. 1 posted the news in a video message on his social media channels on Friday, in which he also revealed that he's been managing the issue for the better part of 15 years.
“It’s the same injury I’ve been having since 2005," Nadal said. "In that moment, the doctors were very negative about my future career, but honestly, I’ve been able to have a career that I never dreamed about so I am confident I will recover again, and if the foot is better, I am confident that my tennis and my mentality will be there again soon.
“The only thing you can be sure is that I am going to fight every single day to make that happen. [There] remains a couple of beautiful years, I really think. I will be back, and I will be back the right way.”
Following a semifinal loss to Novak Djokovic at the French Open in June, Nadal missed both Wimbledon and the Olympics as a result of the injury. The 20-time major-winner returned to the tour briefly this summer at the Citi Open in Washington, D.C. during the US Open Series, where he reached the third round.
However, he was again afflicted by the injury in a second-round win over American Jack Sock, and was also forced to withdraw from the National Bank Open in Toronto and the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati as a result.
“After coming back from Toronto, I took a couple of days to think about it. I needed to talk with my family, with my team and with my doctor especially to understand what’s going on," Nadal said. "... During the last year, I was not able to practice and prepare myself the way that I need to, to be competitive at the standards that I want to be. So we had to take that decision.”
“I am confident that I will recover 100 percent and will be able to fight again for the most important things."
Italy's Salvatore Caruso moves into the men's singles main draw as a result of Nadal's withdrawal.
