DOHA, Qatar — Rafael Nadal put off his return to the tennis tour because he isn’t yet healthy enough to play, announcing Wednesday that he will sit out next week’s Qatar Open.
“I would have loved to play in Doha, where the tournament team, as well as the amazing Qatar fans have always supported me greatly. Unfortunately I am not ready to compete and I won’t be able to come to Doha where I really wanted to be and play again after that unforgettable win in 2014,” Nadal wrote on social media. “I will focus on keep working to be ready for the exhibition in Las Vegas and the amazing Indian Wells tournament.”
Nadal, 37, Spaniard is scheduled to participate in an exhibition match with Carlos Alcaraz on March 3, then head to Indian Wells, California, for the hard-court tournament there next month.
Nadal played in three matches at the Brisbane International in early January — his first competitive action in nearly a full year — but then pulled out of the Australian Open and hasn’t been back since.
He hurt his hip flexor during the Australian Open in 2023 and eventually needed surgery, missing the rest of last season.
Nadal has indicated this year might be the last of his career, and he’s pointed to the French Open — where he won 14 of his 22 Grand Slam titles — as his focus.