Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the upcoming tennis tournament in Doha, further delaying his return to the court. The 22-time Grand Slam champion was due to play in the Qatari capital, where the competition starts on February 19. However, the 37-year-old Spaniard, who recently returned after a long layoff, remains in hospital.
Taking to social network X, the Matador revealed that he is targeting an exhibition match with Carlos Alcaraz in Las Vegas in March, as well as an appearance in Indian Wells later that month.
“I wanted to play in Doha, where the tournament organizers and the great Qatari fans have always supported me. Unfortunately, I am not ready to play and will not be able to come to Doha, where I wanted to be, and play again after the unforgettable title in 2014. I will concentrate on continuing to work to be ready for the exhibition match in Las Vegas and the incredible tournament at Indian Wells,” he wrote.
Nadal had been sidelined for nearly a year with a hip problem, making his return at the Brisbane tournament in January. He won two matches there, but a muscle tear led to a loss to Jordan Thompson in the quarter-final stage. The injury also led to the Spaniard's decision to withdraw from the Australian Open a week before the start of the event in Melbourne.
In an interview with Spanish TV channel La Sexta, the 22-time Slam champion revealed that his goals for the rest of the year are Roland Garros and the Paris Olympics. "I don't know which tournaments I have left to participate in, but between us, there won't be many. Roland Garros will be one of my goals. I would also like to play in the Olympics. I can't confirm it right now, but I hope I can…I think I can." /BGNES
