Sports

Nadal turns down Dubai Championships wild card offer

Sports Desk, Mar 11 (efe-epa).- Rafael Nadal on Thursday declined an offer from the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships to make a wild card appearance in next week’s tournament, saying he is not ready to compete.

In a Twitter post, the 20-time grand slam champion thanked the tournament for the invitation to play in the Dubai competition, which will take place from March 14 to 20.

“We seriously thought about coming to play, but I don’t think I am ready to play yet,” the 34-year-old Spaniard said.

A “special thanks to Tournament Director Salah Talak since I am aware of his efforts to ensure a smooth arrival to play Dubai during this unprecedented coronavirus pandemic and difficult times for all,” he added.

Nadal suffered back problems in the Australian Open, however, he managed to find a temporary solution that allowed him to play without pain in the second week of the tournament.

He was knocked out by Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas in the tournament’s quarterfinals. EFE-EPA

Related Articles

Back to top button