Rafael Nadal withdraws from Montreal hardcourt event

Rafael Nadal, will not compete at the upcoming Masters 1000 event. A two-time defending champion is back on the practice court after experiencing an injury at Wimbledon. Still, he felt slightly discomfort again and decided to skip Montreal and not risk anything.Nadal has been a player to beat this year, winning 35 out of 38 matches and leading the ATP Race ahead of Carlos Alcaraz. Rafa claimed the season's opening two Major titles for the first time in a career to leave Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic behind.

Nadal celebrated the 22nd Major crown at Roland Garros, toppling Novak Djokovic in the quarter-final and beating Casper Ruud in the title clash. After a well-deserved rest, the Spaniard headed to Wimbledon and reached the third straight All England Club semi-final.It came after an epic victory over Taylor Fritz in the quarter-final, and Nadal had to withdraw ahead of the semi-final clash with Nick Kyrgios due to an abdominal injury.Nadal is a five-time Canada Open champion, leading the charts since 1990 and winning back-to-back titles in 2018 and 2019. Rafa has played eight tournaments in 2022, experiencing a rib injury in Indian Wells and staying away from the court until May.