The AEGON Championships in London will be bereft of one huge name after Rafael Nadal announced today that he will not be appearing in the tournament due to injury. Having withdrawn from the French Open on the back of a wrist injury, the former world number one will also miss the warm-up tournament for Wimbledon.
Nadal's hunt for history thwarted
Nadal, who had raced into the third round of the French Open with wins over Samuel Groth and Facundo Bagnis, had been due to face Marcel Granollers in the third round but withdrew at the final hour citing a repeat of the injury that has blighted him for the last few years.
The nine times French Open champion had been looking to become the first man to ever win ten titles at Roland Garros, already being the record winner in the Open Era.
Queen's Club list remains strong
It means Nadal, who won Queen's in 2008 after he defeated Novak Djokovic in the final on his way to winning a French Open, Wimbledon and Queen's treble that year, is now a huge doubt to appear in Wimbledon as he has been advised to rest his wrist for the foreseeable future.
'I am very sad that my wrist injury means that I cannot play at The Queen’s Club this year,' announced Nadal, who suffered a shock first round defeat to Alexandr Dolgopolov when he returned to the tournament in 2015 after a three year hiatus.
He had been due to join the strongest ever line-up at the Queen's Club, which became an ATP World Tour 500 Series event in 2015 in the tournament's 125th year, that includes the likes of grand slam winners Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka and Marin Cilic. There remain faint hopes that Novak Djokovic may even belatedly join, having last played the tournament in 2013.