Rafael Nadal’s preparation for next week’s Australian Open has suffered a setback after he pulled out of his opening tie at the ATP Cup on Monday.
The world No.2 was set to lead Spain in their clash against Australia before opting to skip the tie due to a stiff back. Nadal confirmed his withdrawal on Twitter and it is unclear as to how significant the issue is at present. Although he said he was ‘hopeful’ that he will be able to play in the tournament later this week. Spain finished runners-up to Serbia in the ATP Cup last year.
“We have decided with Team Spain and my team, to not play today the first match of the ATP Cup here in Melbourne since I have a stiff lower back. Hopefully I’ll be better for Thursday,” Nadal wrote.
Due to the mandatory 14-day quarantine in Australia Nadal is yet to play a competitive match on the ATP Tour this year. Although he did feature in the Day at the Drive exhibition in Adelaide last Friday where he defeated Dominic Thiem in straight sets.
The blip comes ahead of the first Grand Slam of the season where Nadal is seeking to win his first title in Melbourne Park for more than a decade. Should he do so the Spaniard would surpass Roger Federer for most Grand Slam titles won by a male player in history. The two are currently tied on 20 each.
Replacing Nadal in the ATP Cup will be Roberto Basutista Agut who plays Alex de Minaur in his opening match. The world No.13 went 6-0 in the ATP Cup last year and didn’t lose a set. In the other singles match Pablo Carreno Busta will play John Millman.
Should he recover in time, Nadal could feature in his country’s tie against Greece later this week in which he could face a showdown against Stefanos Tsitsipas.
