Nadal pulls out of Rotterdam Open with back issue

ROTTERDAM: World number two Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from next week’s Rotterdam Open due to a back injury, the Spaniard said on Thursday. The 20-time Grand Slam winner has been struggling with a back issue since the build-up to the Australian Open and was forced to skip Spain’s ATP Cup ties earlier this month. “It is with great sadness that I have to forfeit from Rotterdam,” Nadal said. “As most of the fans know, I suffered some back problems in Australia that started in Adelaide and continued during Melbourne. We found a temporary solution that allowed me to play without pain in the second week of the tournament. Once I got back to Spain I visited my doctor and together with my team they’ve advised not to play this upcoming week.” Nadal has not played in Rotterdam since 2009, and World No 3 Daniil Medvedev will replace him as the top seed at tournament, which will run from March 1-7. — Reuters