Nadal to miss Wimbledon warm-up

LONDON: Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from next week’s Wimbledon warm-up event at Queen’s Club as the world number one takes a break following his latest French Open triumph.

Nadal crushed Dominic Thiem to clinch his 11th French Open title on Sunday, but the Spaniard hinted after the final that the toll on his body might force him to miss part of the grass-court campaign.

The 32-year-old is drained after playing 27 matches on clay over the last two months and, after consulting with his medical team, he confirmed on Wednesday that he won’t play at Queen’s this year.

Nadal has admitted he finds it hard to make the transition from clay to grass, with the low bounce on the surface in England often threatening to aggravate the knee injuries that have plagued him in the latter stages of his glittering career. It is the third consecutive year Nadal has entered the tournament only to pull out before it has started.

Nadal’s absence from the west London event will raise doubts about his chances of winning Wimbledon for a third time.The 17-time Grand Slam champion last won at the All England Club in 2010 and hasn’t been past the last 16 since 2011.