Montreal tennis fans will not have the chance to see Rafael Nadal at the National Bank Open, as the Spaniard has withdrawn from competition due to an abdominal injury.
This is what the tournament organizers announced on Friday in a press release.
“We are certainly very disappointed that Rafael is not able to join us. Champion of our tournament five times, including the last men’s edition in Montreal in 2019, he was obviously eagerly awaited by fans and we were all looking forward to seeing him in action again at the IGA Stadium,” said Eugène Lapierre, Tournament Director. from Montreal.
“After speaking with my doctor, we prefer to be conservative and give my body a few more days before returning to competition,” Nadal said. I would like to thank Eugène, the tournament director, and his entire team for their understanding and for supporting me in this decision. I am very sad not to be able to come to Montreal. It’s a tournament I’ve won five times and I love playing it. I sincerely hope I can come back to the tournament to play in front of the crowd which is always amazing.”
The former world No. 1 was the third seed in the 2022 edition of the National Bank Open in Montreal. Due to his forfeit, American Mackenzie McDonald will skip qualifying and join the main draw directly.
