Nadal won't start competing until knee is ready

Rafael Nadal tells Reuters Television that he had a hard time deciding to withdraw from the London Olympics. Nadal, who has tendonitis in his left knee, won Olympic gold in 2008.

"I was like scared to take the decision no? It is something that happens,” he said. "You never know if it happens only one time in life bringing the flag of my country to the Olympics with all the sports family of Spain there. All I can say is that I did as much as I could to be there and to be ready but it wasn't the right time. My emotion and my dream to compete in the Olympics was more than ever…When I had to take the decision was the toughest moment. But it was something that I was thinking was going to happen for the last six, seven days because the knee was not improving."

Nadal would not commit to a return date. The next event he is entered in is the Toronto Masters, which begin on August 6.

"The tournaments never stop so I will try to be ready for the American season but you never know you have to work hard every day and see, go day by day and see how it improves," he said. "I will compete when my knee says I am ready to compete. I don't want to go on court with bad feeling because then it is terrible."