Nadal slams calendar after withdrawing from Barcelona
Rafael Nadal once again hit out at the crammed ATP calendar and blamed the "poor" scheduling for his decision not to defend his Barcelona Open title this week.
|Last Updated: Apr 20, 2010, 12:11 PM IST|Source: Bureau
Madrid: Rafael Nadal once again hit out at the crammed ATP calendar and blamed the "poor" scheduling for his decision not to defend his Barcelona Open title this week.
The Spaniard, who has in the past called the calendar "crazy" and "overloaded," was disappointed not to play on home soil but after enduring a year of injuries, he felt he had no choice but to take a break to preserve his body for the French Open.
"I have said on repeated occasions that the tennis calendar, especially this part of the claycourt season, is poorly thought out and not playing in Barcelona, I feel, is a consequence of this," the former world number one said in a statement posted on the tournament website.
"It`s very tough not to play in Barcelona, more than any other tournament. But this year after the victory in Monte Carlo my body has called for me to rest. It is particularly painful... because I regard this as my home competition."Nadal was in breathtaking form as he dismissed Davis Cup team mate Fernando Verdasco 6-0, 6-1 in the final of the Monte Carlo Open Sunday, but the effort looks to have taken a heavy toll on his troublesome knees.
In the past, the world number three has often pushed his body to the limit by playing on the energy sapping clay for three or four weeks in a row. But after being forced to miss the entire grasscourt season in 2009 to nurse his stricken knees, Nadal has opted to take a more cautious approach.
In the run up to Roland Garros, which begins on May 23, he is expected to play in Masters events in Rome and Madrid.He will give a news conference in Barcelona Tuesday at 11 a.m. British time.
Tournament director Albert Costa said: "We wish Rafa the best of luck. We know it is a measured decision and that it will have been tough to take. The player has to know when to listen to his body."
Nadal would have been going for his sixth consecutive Barcelona Open title.
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.