Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal on Friday announced his withdrawal from the Paris Masters due to injury.
After his win over Uruguay’s Pablo Cuevas, Nadal acknowledged on Thursday night that his knee was “not 100 percent fit”, reports Efe.
“The way that I am today, I do not see myself playing three more matches,” Nadal said on Friday at press conference prior to his quarterfinal match against qualifier Serbian Filip Krajinovic.
“The knee is always bothering a little bit but sometimes it’s worse,” he added.
Nadal regained top form in 2017 after injury-plagued seasons in recent years, winning six titles, including his 10th Roland Garros trophy and third US Open crown.
“For me it’s not about London, it’s about longer term,” Nadal said referring to the ATP Finals, the season-ending tournament which is set to be held in London between November 12-19.
The 16-time Grand Slam champion needed one win at the Paris Masters to end the year as world No. 1, a feat he accomplished at the expense of South Korean Hyeon Chung in the round of 32.