Rafael Nadal Pulls Out Of US Open, Ends His 2021 Season Citing Foot Injury
(CBSNewYork)- When the U.S. Open begins on August 30 in Queens, another of the biggest names in men's tennis will be missing from the draw. 20-time major winner Rafael Nadal announced Friday that he is withdrawing from the tournament citing continued struggles with a foot injury.
In a video posted to his Instagram account, the 35-year-old said that the injury will cause him to miss both the Open and the rest of 2021.
"Hello everyone, I'm very sorry to announce that I will not be able to continue playing tennis during the 2021 season," Nadal said in the video. "But as you know, I have been suffering too much with my foot for the last year now. I have missed many important events for me like the US Open, Wimbledon, Olympics and many other events that are important to me. After coming back from Toronto, I took a couple of days to think about it, talk about it with my family, team and doctor to understand what's going on."
Nadal's announcement follows that of Roger Federer earlier this week who announced that he will undergo another knee surgery forcing him to miss the tournament.
Italy's Salvatore Caruso takes Nadal's spot in the main draw as a result of his withdrawal. With Nadal and Federer both out of the tournament, the path for Novak Djokovic to winning the season's Grand Slam has opened. The draw for the 2021 tournament will be revealed on Friday, August 27.