2014 US OPEN: Nadal Unable To Defend Title Due To Wrist Injury

Defending champion Rafael Nadal withdrew from the 2014 US Open today, one week before the tournament starts due to a wrist injury which has prevented the former 14-time major champion from defending any of his ranking points won in his undefeated 2013 hard court summer season where he won 3 titles (Cincinnati, Montreal and New York).

Nadal issued a statement in English and Spanish on Facebook:

Siento anunciar que no podré participar en el US Open, torneo en el que en los últimos años he tenido muy buenos resultados. Entenderéis que es un momento duro para mi porque es un torneo que me encanta y en el que tengo muy buenos recuerdos, de los fans, de los partidos nocturnos, de tantas cosas. No me queda otra que aceptar que no puedo competir este año y como siempre trabajar para que cuando vuelva esté preparado de la mejor manera para competir. 

I am very sorry to announce I won’t be able to play at this year’s US Open a tournament on which I’ve played 3 consecutive finals in my last participations. I am sure you understand that it is a very tough moment for me since it is a tournament I love and where I have great memories from fans, the night matches, so many things… Not much more I can do right now, other than accept the situation and, as always in my case, work hard in order to be able to compete at the highest level once I am back.

Nadal's withdrawal means that Roger Federer will be seeded #2 at this year's U.S. Open and will be unable to meet World #1 Novak Djokovic before the final. Federer and Djokovic met in four consecutive semifinals from 2009 to 2012 (with Federer only winning once, in 2009, but losing the final to Juan Martin del Potro) and Djokovic has reached the final the last four years, winning only once (in 2011, defeating Nadal). It also means that World #9 (and 2012 US Open champion) Andy Murray will be seeded #8 and thus could not meet Federer or Djokovic until the quarterfinal at the earliest.