Rafael Nadal’s left foot injury has forced him to end his 2021 season, preventing the world number 4 from competing in the upcoming US Open, the final major tennis tournament of the year.
Nadal has been dealing with foot issues for the past year, leading him to withdraw from the Masters 1000 tournament in Toronto last week. In a tweet on Friday, he announced his decision to skip the tournament in Washington.
“I regret to inform you that I have to conclude the 2021 season,” he stated. “In all honesty, I have been struggling more than I should with my foot for a year and I need to take a break to address this problem and hopefully find a solution or improvement to keep my options open for the future.”
The foot problem flared up significantly during this year’s French Open, where Nadal lost in the semi-finals to Novak Djokovic, who eventually won the tournament. Djokovic is now considered the frontrunner heading into the US Open, especially since defending champion Dominic Thiem has also withdrawn and Roger Federer is sidelined due to undergoing a third knee surgery.
