Whoever booed Rafael Nadal for retiring during the match against Nikolay Davydenko in the quarterfinal match at Paris Masters last Friday, or doesn't believe he is really injured, please give yourself a slap.In these pictures, Nadal did seem a little annoyed upon returning to his hotel after announcing he has pulled out of the Paris Masters tournament with a knee injury.
And now it's even worse news.Yesterday Rafael Nadal announced he had to pull out of the season-ending Masters Cup in Shanghai, citing fatigue after a long season and the need to prepare for the Davis Cup final.
He made the announcement on his website, describing his withdrawal as 'one of the most difficult decisions in his career'.
“It has been a long and difficult year where I managed to obtain great results, both on a professional and on a personal level,” he said.
“I have mentioned on various occasions that the tennis calendar has been extremely hard with practically all weeks playing and where it forces players to compete week in, week out, making it impossible for a top level player to be 100% for each event."
“On a personal level I had as one of my goals to become No. 1 during this year and competing at so many events might have harmed, especially at the end of the season, my physical condition, taking away the freshness needed to play at the top level of the game in these last events,” Nadal said.Nadal also said he hoped that his absence would buy him time for the Davis Cup final against host Argentina from Nov. 21-23.
“I want to recover and be ready for the important Davis Cup final with my country that will be played in Mar del Plata, Argentina. That is also another reason for not coming to Shanghai,” Nadal added.Nadal will be replaced in Wednesday’s draw in Shanghai by Frenchman Gilles Simon.
(Images by Flynet Pictures)
