Back injury thwarts Nadal's planned Acapulco return
Rafael Nadal said he will not play in the Acapulco ATP tournament in March because of a back injury.
PARIS (AFP) - Rafael Nadal said Friday he will not play in the Acapulco ATP tournament in March because of a back injury which also caused his withdrawal from next week s Rotterdam event.
The world number two is therefore unlikely to play again until the season s first Masters event in Miami from March 24.
"I am very sorry not to participate in Acapulco 2021," the 34-year-old Nadal, champion in Acapulco in 2005, 2013 and 2020 wrote on Twitter.
"It is a difficult year for everyone and in my current state of health, with a bad back, it is impossible to make such a long trip.
"I love Acapulco, I have played the last four years, but this year it is not possible. Hopefully in 2022!"
Nadal, a 20-time Grand Slam title winner, was bothered by the back injury in Melbourne where he was knocked out of the Australian Open in the quarter-finals by Stefanos Tsitsipas from two sets up.
The Spanish star could lose his number two world ranking next week to Russia s Daniil Medvedev if the Australian Open runner-up makes the final in Rotterdam.
