Barcelona Open: Rafael Nadal withdraws from clay-court tournament

Rafael Nadal has struggled to instrumentality to fittingness since injuring his hep astatine the Australian Open successful January

Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the Barcelona Open, saying helium is "still not ready" to instrumentality to the men's ATP tour.

The 22-time Grand Slam victor remains a uncertainty for the French Open successful May, wherever helium is defending champion.

Nadal has not played since helium was defeated by American Mackenzie McDonald astatine the Australian Open successful January.

Writing connected Twitter, the Spaniard said: "Barcelona is simply a peculiar tourney for me, due to the fact that it is my adopted nine and due to the fact that playing astatine location is ever a unsocial feeling.

"I americium inactive not acceptable and, therefore, I proceed my mentation process for the instrumentality to competition."

The Barcelona Open, which Nadal has won 12 times, starts connected Monday, and is 1 of the past large clay-court events earlier the French Open begins successful Paris connected 28 May.

Nadal, who is ranked 14th successful the world, was diagnosed with a near hep wounded aft helium was beaten successful consecutive sets by McDonald successful the 2nd circular successful Melbourne.

The anticipated betterment clip was six to 8 weeks, but Nadal volition not beryllium backmost successful action, astatine the earliest, until the Madrid Open, which starts connected 25 April.