Rafael Nadal will not play at the
Qatar Open in Doha after all which begins on February 19. It was all due to be his return to action after withdrawing from the Australian Open.
But Nadal has had a setback with his injury and was in doubt earlier today due to discomfort. He has since confirmed that he will not play at the Qatar Open and instead will focus on playing the exhibition against Carlos Alcaraz on Netflix before Indian Wells and Miami. It is yet another blow for Nadal who after having an almighty comeback at Brisbane had a micro tear in his thigh and withdrew from the Australian Open.
He has since said that his priority is Indian Wells and the clay court season where he will aim to play a full schedule, but after a good start, it has gone downhill thus far for the Spaniard. But given it is only a small tournament, it means less than a potential withdrawal from Indian Wells and Miami in the coming weeks.
"I would have loved to play in Doha, where the tournament team, as well as the amazing Qatar fans have always supported me greatly. Unfortunately I am not ready to compete and I won’t be able to come to Doha where I really wanted to be and play again after that unforgettable win in 2014," said Nadal on social media.
"I will focus on keep working to be ready for the exhibition in Las Vegas and the amazing Indian Wells tournament."
