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Tennis

Rafael Nadal brings down curtain on 2016 season

Rafael Nadal quit the 2016 tennis circuit on Thursday night vowing to return stronger and more competitive when hostilities recommence in January.

Rafael Nadal failed in 2016 to add to his haul of 14 Grand Slam titles.
Rafael Nadal failed in 2016 to add to his haul of 14 Grand Slam titles. Reuters/Stefano Rellandini
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The former world number one has been plagued by injuries throughout 2016 and he failed to add to his tally of 14 Grand Slams for a second successive season.

An injured left wrist forced him to withdraw from the French Open where he has claimed a record nine championships. The problem forced him to miss Wimbledon - the venue for two his Grand Slam triumphs.

"It is no secret that I arrived at the Olympic Games short of preparation and not fully recovered," said the 30-year-old Spaniard. "But but the goal was to compete and win a medal for Spain. This forced recovery has caused me pain since then and now I am forced to stop and start preparing the 2017 season."

Nadal, who suffered a shock second round defeat to Victor Troicki at the Shanghai Masters last week, had been scheduled to play in Basel next week and the Paris Masters starting on 31 October.

"I am very saddened for not being able to play in Basel since I have a great memory of the tournament and the final played against Roger Federer last year," he added. "I won't be able to compete either in Paris-Bercy, where the crowds and the staff have always treated me so well. Now it is time to rest and start preparing intensively the 2017 season."

Nadal won 39 of his 53 matches during 2016 claiming titles on the clay at the Monte Carlo Masters and the Barcelona Open.

At the Rio Olympics, he won doubles gold with Marc Lopez but was beaten in the bronze medal singles match by Japan's Kei Nishikori.

He then suffered a fourth round loss at the US Open, going down in five sets to Lucas Pouille of France.

Nadal's longtime rival Federer ended his season in July after suffering a knee injury at Wimbledon.

Both men were in Mallorca on Wednesday to oversee the opening of Nadal's own tennis academy.

"Roger and I haven't forgotten how to play tennis and we are working to get back to competing at the highest level," said Nadal. "I still have many years to come in tennis."

His decision means that the season ending championships - the World Tour Finals - will be without both him and Federer for the first time since 2001.

  

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