Illness Forces Nadal To Pull Out Of Abu Dhabi This Week

Written by: Staff on 26th December 2012

Illness Forces Nadal To Pull Out Of Abu Dhabi This Week

epa02767827 Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts in celebration after beating Roger Federer of Switzerland in the men's final match for the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, 05 June 2011. This is Nadal's fourth victory over Federer at the French Open. EPA/GUILLAUME HORCAJUELO |

Rafael Nadal’s long-awaited tennis comeback at Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala World Tennis Championship was called off a day before the event is due to begin, not because of a recurrence of the knee problems that have sidelined the the former world no.1, but because he is ill.

Nadal again used his Facebook page to be a source of bad news and he revealed his doctors have advised him to rest while he recovers from a fever caused by a stomach infection.

“I am very disappointed that I will not be able to compete this year in Abu Dhabi,” wrote Nadal who has not played competitively since the first week of Wimbledon, as he battled to overcome Hoffa’s Syndrome, an inflammation of the patellar tendon.

“My rehab has gone well, my knee feels good and I was looking forward to competing. Unfortunately doctors have informed me that my body needs to rest in order to fight this stomach virus.”

Nadal is currently still at home in Majorca, having been advised not to travel and he added: “I would like to say sorry to all my fans in the United Arab Emirates and around the world, but I hope to play and win in Abu Dhabi again next year.”

So the 11-times Grand Slam champion will now hope to make his comeback next week at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha , starting on New Year’s Eve. Then it should be onto the the first Grand Slam event of the year, the Australian Open, begining in Melbourne on January 14.

A statement from the Mubadala World Tennis Championship, read: “Rafael Nadal has been forced to make a last minute withdrawal from the 2012 event due to a stomach virus.

“Nadal, who has competed in all four previous tournaments, was advised by doctors not to travel or compete due to the illness.”

The Abu Dhabi event still features the world number one and defending champion Novak Djokovic as well as four other top-10 players – Andy Murray, David Ferrer, Janko Tipsarevic and Tomas Berdych. Fellow Spaniard Nicolas Almagro was recruited to fill Nadal’s place.

Topics: abu dhabis mubadala word tennis championship, nadal ill tennis news, rafael nadals, Sports, Tennis