"I will be seeing my Aussie fans when I land on the 4th in Melbourne and start my preparation for the Australian Open"
Friday 29 December 2017 00:13, UK
Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the Brisbane International but believes he will recover from an ongoing knee injury in time for the Australian Open.
The 16-time Grand Slam champion had already pulled out of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi but the Spaniard's preparations for the opening major of the season have been further derailed.
Nadal, who picked up the French Open and US Open this year, withdrew from the ATP Finals in November with a knee injury and has failed to recover in time for the season opener, which begins on New Year's Eve.
"I am sorry to announce I won't be coming to Brisbane this year," Nadal said on Twitter.
"My intention was to play but I am still not ready after last year's long season and the late start of my preparation."
The Spaniard lost to Roger Federer in the Australian Open final in January and is likely to head to Melbourne Park short of match practice for the tournament which runs from January 15-28.
"I had a great time there (in 2017) and it was a great start to the month I spent in Australia," Nadal added.
"I will be seeing my Aussie fans when I land on the 4th in Melbourne and start there my preparation for the Australian Open."
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