Rafael Nadal withdraws from Miami Masters

Rafael Nadal recently took to Twitter to confirm that he has withdrawn from the 2021 Miami Masters due to an ongoing back injury. The Spaniard claimed he was unhappy at not being able to compete at the Masters 1000 event, where has played the championship match a whopping five times.

"Sad to announce that I won’t be playing in Miami, a city that I love," Rafael Nadal wrote on his social media accounts.

Sad to announce that I won’t be playing in Miami, a city that I love. I need to fully recover and get ready for the clay court season in Europe. Special message to my fans in the US and in particular to the great Spanish speaking community FL who always give me a great support!💪🏻

— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) March 16, 2021

Rafael Nadal explained that he hadn't yet recovered from his exertions at the start of the year, which saw him play through a back injury in Melbourne. The Spaniard now needs to get ready in time for the European clay swing, which means he had to leave out the Miami hardcourt event from his schedule.

Nadal ended his message on a positive note, thanking his fans in the US and his Spanish supporters in Florida, who have greatly supported him over the years.

"I need to fully recover and get ready for the clay court season in Europe," Nadal continued. "Special message to my fans in the US and in particular to the great Spanish speaking community FL who always give me a great support!"

Rafael Nadal has been out of action since his quarterfinal exit at the 2021 Australian Open

Stefanos Tsitsipas (L) and Rafael Nadal at the 2021 Australian Open

Rafael Nadal suffered a shock defeat to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarterfinals of the 2021 Australian Open. Nadal had led by two sets to love at one point, but failed to close out the third set tiebreaker - which allowed the Greek to roar back into contention and eventually win the match.

Rafael Nadal had first hinted at a possible injury during the 2021 ATP Cup, as he pulled out of his singles fixtures despite being initially named on the schedule. The 34-year-old's issues seemed to worsen during the Australian Open, as he was forced to make adjustments to his service motion and speed.

Rafael Nadal was subsequently forced to withdraw from the Rotterdam Open and the Abierto Mexicano Telcel, despite having been the defending champion at the latter 500-level event.

The tennis rumor mill had suggested last week that a possible return to Dubai was on the cards for the Spanish bull. However, Nadal laid the rumors to rest by revealing that he had declined a wildcard from the 500-level event as he was not ready to play competitive matches.