In a statement posted on social media, the world No. 4 said he had been suffering “much more than I should” with a foot injury, adding that the decision to end his 2021 season was “the way forward to recover and recover well.”
Nadal’s last outing on a tennis court was at the Citi Open in Washington DC earlier in August where he suffered a shock loss in the round of 16 to South Africa’s Lloyd Harris.
The 27-year-old star said on Wednesday that he hasn’t recovered from the injury he sustained at the Mallorca Open in June, which was the last tournament he played before withdrawing from Wimbledon and the Tokyo Olympics earlier this summer.
In the absence of Nadal, Federer and Thiem, the road looks smoother for Djokovic as he aims to claim a memorable calendar slam — winning all four grand slams in the same calendar year.
The Serbian, who is also seeking a record-breaking 21st grand slam singles title, failed in his search for a historic golden slam in men’s tennis at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics — winning all four grand slams and an Olympic gold medal in the same 12 months — losing in the semifinals.
If he was to win in New York, he would become the first player in men’s singles tennis to complete a calendar slam since Rod Laver did it a second time in 1969.
This year’s US Open is scheduled to start on August 30 and runs through September 12 in New York.
You may also like
-
Super League: UEFA forced to drop disciplinary proceedings against remaining clubs
-
Simone Biles says she ‘should have quit way before Tokyo’
-
Kyrie Irving: NBA star the latest to withhold vaccination status
-
Roger Hunt: English football mourns death of Liverpool striker and World Cup winner
-
‘Every single time I lift the bar, I’m just lifting my country up’: Shiva Karout’s quest for powerlifting glory