Wrist Injury Knocks Nadal Out of Shanghai Masters

Rafael Nadal has been forced to withdraw from the Shanghai Masters due to a wrist injury.

The Spaniard was plagued by the injury during the latter stages of the recent Laver Cup and he was unable to compete in his second singles match in Geneva.

The eighth ATP Masters 1000 event of the season – which begins on Sunday, was set to feature ‘The Big Four’ of Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray for the first time since January’s Australian Open.

However, Nadal’s wait for a maiden Shanghai title will now continue.

“I am very sad to announce that I won’t be able to play in Shanghai this year. It is the second year in a row and in China I have great fans,” Nadal said in a statement.

“But, as you all probably know, I had an inflammation on my left wrist during the Laver Cup and I haven’t had the time to recover and practice to be ready. I hope to be back in Shanghai for the 2020 tournament.”

The 19-time Grand Slam champion is currently on an 11-game winning streak, which featured his dramatic US Open triumph against Daniil Medvedev last month.

Nadal has lost just one of his last 29 matches, a run that also included his 12th French Open title at Roland Garros and Masters titles in Montreal and Rome.