Rafael Nadal To Miss ATP Finals

Rafael Nadal will miss November’s season-ending ATP Finals in London and have surgery on an ankle injury. Having withdrawn from last month’s Paris Masters with an abdominal muscle injury, making Novak Djokovic replace him as world No. 1.

The Spaniard said that since he was still suffering with that injury, he would “take advantage of the moment” and have an operation on his ankle which means that John Isner takes will take his place at the eight-player event in London.

In a series of tweets he posted on his official handle, Nadal wrote: “It has been a complicated year, very good at the tennis level when I was able to play, and at the same time very bad as far as injuries are concerned.

“Unfortunately, I had the abdominal problem in Paris last week and, in addition, I have a free body in the ankle joint that has to be removed in the operating room today.

“It is true that we had detected it for a long time and from time to time it bothered me. However, since the problem in the abdominal muscle also prevents me from playing in London, we take advantage of the moment to remove the free body and avoid future problems.

“This way I hope to be in full condition for the next season.”

Nadal has retired from two of the three hard-court events he has competed at this season – the Australian Open and the US Open – but won the other, the Rogers Cup.

The 17 time Grand Slam champion’s absence from London means 14-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic will end the year as the world number one for the fifth time in his career: level with Roger Federer and Jimmy Connors, and one behind Pete Sampras.