Rafael Nadal said on Friday that he will end his 2021 tennis season prematurely due to a problem with his left foot that has worried him for a year, and that he was excluded from the US Open this month. .
The world’s No. 4 player suffered an early departure to Washington this month, where he began his lead until last year’s Grand Slam, and last week retired from the Masters 1000 event in Toronto due to the problem.
“I wanted to let you know that unfortunately I have to finish the 2021 season,” he tweeted Christmas on Friday.
The recurring problem appeared at the French Open, where he fell to eventual champion Novak Djokovic in the semifinals.
“Honestly, I’ve been suffering a lot more than I should have done with my foot for a year and I need to spend some time … finding a solution to this problem or at least improving it to continue to have options for in the next few years, ”Nadal said.
“I am with the utmost enthusiasm and willingness to do whatever it takes to get back in the best possible way to keep competing for the things that really motivate me.
“I am convinced that with the recovery of the foot and, obviously, with a very important daily effort … this can be achieved. I will work as hard as possible to make this happen.”
The great Christmas rival and 20-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer is also out of the U.S. Open and will be away from home for months because he needs knee surgery.
The US Open takes place from August 30 to September. 12.