By Emre Asikci
ISTANBUL (AA) – Rafael Nadal announced on Friday that he will not play tennis again this year due to a foot injury.
The Spaniard will skip the US Open starting on Aug. 30, having already missed this year’s Wimbledon and the Olympics.
“I am very sorry to announce that I won’t be able to keep playing tennis during the 2021 season,” Nadal said in a video on Instagram.
“As you know, I have been suffering too much with my foot for the last year now and I missed a lot of important events for me.”
A former world No. 1, Nadal is currently fourth in the men’s rankings.
The 35-year-old has won 20 Grand Slams over the course of a glittering career, including 13 French Open titles, as well as a gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics.