Rafael Nadal decided to withdraw from the Australian Open due to the stomach virus which hindered his return to the court at Abu Dhabi, the Spaniard announced Friday in a statement at home of Manacor, Spain.

Nadal, 26, said he was forced to withdraw from the Grand Slam event from January 14-27 and the preceding Qatar Open at Doha.

The Spanish, an 11-time Grand Slam title winner, said the decision had nothing to do with the tendinitis in his left knee, which forced him to miss the London Olympics, the U.S. Open and the Davis Cup final.

He was expected to return from injury in this week's Abu Dhabi exhibition tournament, but pulled out because of the virus, which might haunted him for one more week, his doctor said in another statement.

"My knee is much better and the rehabilitation process has gone well as predicted by the doctors, but this virus didn't allow me to practice this past week and therefore I am sorry to announce that I will not play in Doha and the Australian Open, as we had initially scheduled," Nadal said in a press release.

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)