ATP Tour - Nadal out of Dubai

Eurosport - Fri, 20 Feb 09:46:00 2009

World number one Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the Dubai tournament to continue his recovery from a knee complaint.

TENNIS Rafael Nadal ATP Rotterdam 2009 - 0

"I am very disappointed not to be able to compete in Dubai but the doctor has advised me to stay home and rest after the pain in my knee in Rotterdam last week," the Spaniard said in a statement on his website.

"It's nothing to be worried about but it needs some rest. I ask my fans and the tournament organisers to understand and I am sorry for this. Dubai is one of my favourite tournaments and I have always played there.

"I expect to be back in competition the following week for the Davis Cup tie in Benidorm against Serbia and then for Indian Wells and Miami after that."

Nadal's knee problem surfaced during the World Indoor Tournament final in Rotterdam when he was beaten 6-3 4-6 6-0 by Scotland's British number one Andy Murray.

The next day Nadal, speaking in Madrid, added that he had a problem with a tendon just below his knee but was not worried about it.

Spain's Davis Cup opener against Serbia starts on March 6.

Reuters

Comment 3 - 22 of 22

Sort comments by: Most recent

  1. I guess Murray will just have to beat him anither day

    From spanky, on Sat 21 Feb 2:53PM

  2. rest & recover son rafa. I really love watching you­ play every tournament won't be the same without­ YOU. I'm from the Philippines hope our country will­ have a player like you be proud of. Take care of­ yourself...God will help a good person & a good­ player like to be healthy to inspired more tennis­ enthusiast. You & Roger are both the BEST in this­ field.

    From kylie, on Sat 21 Feb 12:18PM

  3. Give those knees a well deserved rest rafa, will miss­ you not playing in Dubai but needs must. See you back­ on form sooon.

    From mosesphilomena, on Fri 20 Feb 10:26PM

  4. get well soon rafa

    From lyza, on Fri 20 Feb 7:32PM

  5. Its a bummer nadal cant make it

    From Arwa, on Fri 20 Feb 2:01PM

  6. Actually DUBAI tournament doesnt deserve top ten­ players... This is the tournament only for the locals­ and within their region.. They do not deserved­ international players... I know it will succeed..only­ for them...

    From zamfir, on Fri 20 Feb 11:35AM

  7. comment 18- I'd rather the type of tennis played at­ oz open final than an endless bunch of serve and­ volleys,which is what sampras played.

    From James J, on Fri 20 Feb 9:23AM

  8. TAKE A GOOD REST ITS NO LONGER SAMPRAS STYLE­ TENNIS
    ]
    ITS JUST BATTERING RAM VIOLENT BATTLE OF ­ STRENGTH

    From sunita139, on Fri 20 Feb 6:50AM

  9. Murray to triumph in Dubai. The question is playing­ bigger tournaments soon after in Indiana Wells and­ Miami. Is that not demanding. Federer and Nadal took­ the right decision

    From n_udine, on Thu 19 Feb 11:33PM

  10. Hope nadal will get well very soon and before Roland­ Garros, I am a fan of roger but nadal is great player­ after all and worth seeing him in all tournements

    From alisissa, on Thu 19 Feb 11:14PM

  11. As expected !!

    From achur o, on Thu 19 Feb 11:01PM

  12. That is sport, its better to be a doctor!

    From MikeD, on Thu 19 Feb 10:23PM

  13. Nadal rest

    From Augustine A, on Thu 19 Feb 10:15PM

  14. Rafa be well soon.. to show some real tennis mastership­ !

    From Igor K, on Thu 19 Feb 9:49PM
  15. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Isn't 'get well soon' valid for an illness,­ not physical injury, where 'recover soon' is­ more apt?

    From webbski, on Thu 19 Feb 9:19PM

  16. harthyms, didn't you know Federer is out of Dubai,­ too? Also Davydenko, Roddick and Verdasco all have­ pulled out of Dubai. All injured :(( Tennis is a­ demanding sport and schedule is too packed.
    Get well­ soon, Rafa. We are missing you.

    From tennischeto, on Thu 19 Feb 8:05PM

  17. To be expected really,all though it is very early in­ the season for him to have tendon problems.Having a­ week off may not be enough time for a full recovery,he­ may be better off having a longer lay off now ,rather­ than it reoccurring during the clay court season ,where­ he has a massive amount of points to defend.The problem­ with the hard courts and Nadal ,is that unlike clay ,a­ hard court does not allow him to slide into the­ shots,and therefore his knees and tendons take alot of­ the impact during his matches.

    From carlos480bc, on Thu 19 Feb 6:54PM

  18. Get well soon Rafa! Wishing u the best always!

    From Vic M, on Thu 19 Feb 6:36PM

  19. i cry

    From gedas63, on Thu 19 Feb 6:34PM

  20. OH DEAR WHAT A SHAME FOR RAFA SO WE NOW HAVE NUMBERS­ ONE AND TWO OUT OF DUBAI.GET WELL SOON RAFA AND ROGER.

    From AJ, on Thu 19 Feb 6:33PM
Sort comments by: Most recent

Not already a Yahoo! user ? to get a free Yahoo! Account