Rafael Nadal forced to skip Asian swing due to knee injury

World No 1 Rafael Nadal won’t travel to Asia next month after being advised to rest his troublesome knee.
The 17-time Grand Slam winner was forced to retire from his US Open semi-final against Juan Martin del Potro a fortnight ago due to tendinitis in his right knee and he has decided to sit out the Asian tour.
“I had to retire from the semi-finals of the U.S. Open and this past Monday I was with doctors in Barcelona to review the situation with my knee,” he wrote on Twitter.
“While my knee problems are nothing new, I have decided together with my medical and technical team not to participate in the Asian tour to recover.”
It means he will miss the China Open and the Shanghai Masters and it also boosts Novak Djokovic’s hopes of reclaiming top spot in the world rankings.
Nadal leads the rankings with 8,760 points while Roger Federer (6,900) is second and Djokovic is third with 6,445 points, but the Serb doesn’t have any points to defend during the Asian swing as he missed the backend of the 2017 season due to injury.
More from Tennis365:
Chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani suspended by ATP Tour following his bizarre pep talk to Nick Kyrgios
Tennis Today: Man United players urged to channel ‘big man’ Roger Federer
Injuries taking its toll, but too early to talk about Maria Sharapova’s retirement
Roger Federer has his say on the Serena Williams-Carlos Ramos debacle
Latest
-
News
Ronnie O’Sullivan compared to Roger Federer but snooker legend admires another tennis legend
O’Sullivan is a big tennis fan, but his favourite player is one of Roger Federer’s great rivals.
-
Tennis News
More big names confirmed for final big tennis event of the year as attendance boom continues
Keith Prowse are offering you a chance to play on court with the big name stars compete at the UTS Grand Final in London.
-
Tennis News
Former British No 1 predicts who could topple Novak Djokovic and highlights a rising British youngster
Djokovic remains the undisputed king of tennis, but a new rival could topple him.
-
News
Andy Murray’s £21m business empire – five of his key successes as Scot adds to social media portfolio
Murray is already prominent on Instagram and Twitter and now the Scot has confirmed his arrival on the business network LinkedIn.
-
Tennis News
Jannik Sinner described as a ‘shark’ as key to his matchup with Novak Djokovic is revealed
Jannik Sinner has been labelled a “shark”, while the key to his matchup with Novak Djokovic has been explained.
-
Tennis News
Taylor Fritz addresses ‘cocky’ allegations labelled against Holger Rune
“I like Holger,” says Taylor Fritz.
-
Tennis News
Carlos Alcaraz sends message to Novak Djokovic as he addresses Golden Slam prospect
Carlos Alcaraz has sent a warning to Novak Djokovic as he addressed the ‘Golden Slam’ talk.
-
Tennis News
Carlos Alcaraz reveals his biggest career goal and explains how he must improve in 2024
Carlos Alcaraz has divulged a goal that is “the biggest thing right now”
-
WTA Tour
Jessica Pegula laments gender pay gap and highlights how women’s tennis can improve
“The pay gap is still very big,” says Jessica Pegula.
-
Tennis News
Novak Djokovic hailed as the ‘most complete player’ who has ‘evolved at a level yet to be reached’
A former world No 5 has lauded Novak Djokovic’s completeness and the way he has evolved.