(MENAFN - Gulf Times) World number one Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from his planned season opener at an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi due to lingering fitness concerns just three weeks ahead of the Australian Open.
Nadal, 31, was forced to pull out of the 2017 season-ending ATP Masters last month due to a knee injury after an exhausting season in which he won the French and US Opens.
'It was a tough 2017 and I need to take my calendar in a different way in order to be ready, Nadal told the Mubadala World Tennis Championships website.
'For this reason, I have sadly announced to the organisers and now to you fans that I won't play this time in Abu Dhabi.
Spanish sports daily AS reported that Nadal had to halt his planned training schedule in his native Mallorca this week to seek medical attention in Barcelona due to the niggling knee injury.
Nadal still plans on going for a 17th Grand Slam of his career in Melbourne next month.
The Spaniard will be replaced by compatriot Roberto Bautista Agut for the six-man event over three days from December 28-30.
Australian Open organisers understand Nadal wanted more preparation time and as of last night expected him to play as planned at the Brisbane International, which starts next Sunday.
But it appears the 15-time Grand Slam title winner is still paying a price for his punishing 17-tournament schedule this year, which netted him two more Grand Slam titles, including a 10th French Open crown, and four other ATP titles.
Brisbane organisers will be hopeful Nadal can overcome this latest setback and take his place in the Queensland tournament as the oldest man to have finished a year ranked No. 1 since the ATP rankings started in 1973.
At 31 years, four months, it was the fourth time Nadal was year-end No. 1, having split the year's four majors equally with Roger Federer.


Japan's Nishikori ruled out of Brisbane International
The 27-year-old was ranked ninth in the world before sustaining the season-ending injury ahead of the Cincinnati Masters in August and has been out of action for more than four months, dropping to 22nd in the rankings.
Last month, Nishikori said he had chosen rehabilitation over surgery to repair the damage and was targeting a return in Brisbane, where he finished runner-up earlier this year, to warm up for the Australian Open.
'I am so disappointed to miss Brisbane this year. For years it's been my first tournament of the season and I always feel so at home there..., Nishikori was quoted as saying on the tournament's official Twitter account.
Nishikori was among several top players who were forced to end last season early due to injury, including Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and Switzerland's Stan Wawrinka.
Back in January, Nishikori kicked off his season with a final appearance in strong ATP 250 event in Brisbane, losing to Grigor Dimitrov, and he had some solid results in the next couple of months, reaching the quarter-final in almost every tournament he played. Nonetheless, he couldn't avoid injuries, just like many times in the past, and he played only 4 events after Roland Garros, being forced to end his season after a second round loss to Gael Monfils in Montreal, wasting 4 match points.
U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens has also been ruled out of the women's tournament at the Queensland Tennis Centre due to a knee injury.
'Sloane Stephens needs an extra week's rehab on her knee, meaning she will now not play the Brisbane International. We look forward to seeing you next year instead, Sloane!, the organisers said on Twitter.
The Brisbane International will be held from December 31-January 7.

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