Rafael Nadal announced on Wednesday that he has withdrawn from the upcoming Indian Wells and Miami Open hard-court tennis tournaments due to a left hip flexor injury. This is the same injury that has kept him on the sidelines since the Australian Open in January.
“I am sad that I won’t be able to compete at Indian Wells nor Miami,” Nadal stated on social media. “Very sad not to be there. I’ll miss all my US fans but I hope to see them later this year during the summer swing.”
Nadal is a three-time champion at the Indian Wells tournament, which is set to commence on March 8. He has never won the Miami Open, which begins on March 22, but is a five-time runner-up.
A 22-time Grand Slam champion, Nadal will be hoping to return to the court in time for the French Open and Wimbledon to add to his tally. Currently, he holds the record for most Grand Slam titles of all time.
The 36-year-old Spaniard has won 14 French Open titles, winning last year’s competition despite harboring chronic pain in his left foot. While he made it to the semifinals of Wimbledon, he was unable to perform due to an abdominal injury.
