Back injury thwarts Nadal's planned Acapulco return

PARIS: Rafael Nadal said Friday he will not play in the Acapulco ATP tournament in March because of a back injury which also caused his withdrawal from next week's Rotterdam event.

The world number two is therefore unlikely to play again until the season's first Masters event in Miami from March 24.

"I am very sorry not to participate in Acapulco 2021," the 34-year-old Nadal, champion in Acapulco in 2005, 2013 and 2020 wrote on Twitter.

"It is a difficult year for everyone and in my current state of health, with a bad back, it is impossible to make such a long trip.

"I love Acapulco, I have played the last four years, but this year it is not possible. Hopefully in 2022!"

Nadal, a 20-time Grand Slam title winner, was bothered by the back injury in Melbourne where he was knocked out of the Australian Open in the quarterfinals by Stefanos Tsitsipas from two sets up.

The Spanish star could lose his number two world ranking next week to Russia's Daniil Medvedev if the Australian Open runner-up makes the final in Rotterdam.