Fourteen-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal hinted that he might call it an injury-filled year at the Shanghai Masters, after losing in the second round. Today, he did just that.
In a Facebook post, Nadal, who withdrew from the French Open with a left wrist injury and returned in time for the Olympic Games—where he reached the semifinals—attributed his plight to a desire to compete for Spain in Rio:
It is no secret that I arrived to the Olympic Games short of preparation and not fully recovered, but the goal was to compete and win a medal for Spain. This forced recovery has caused me pain since then and now I am forced to stop and start preparing the 2017 season. I am very saddened for not being able to play next week in Basel since I have a great memory of the tournament and the final played against Roger Federer last year. I won’t be able to compete either in Paris-Bercy, where the crowds and the FFT staff have always treated me so well. Now it is time to rest and start preparing intensively the 2017 season.
The Twitter response to Nadal’s decision to shut down his season gave us some nuggets to consider: