Rafael Nadal has said he was forced to stop playing in the 2016 season to give himself enough time to recover from the wrist injury he picked up earlier this year.
After facing a disappointing first-round exit at 2016 US Open, Nadal pulled out from the French Open after the second round due to the injury he suffered in his left wrist during the tournament. He later opted out of Wimbledon as well.
The Spaniard came back to compete at the 2016 Rio Olympics, in which he clinched a doubles gold along with compatriot Marc Lopez. It was also his second finish at the top-step of the podium at the Games after his singles gold in Beijing in 2008. However, Nadal lost the singles bronze medal match against Japan's Kei Nishikori in Rio de Janeiro.
Apart from missing the upcoming ATP tournaments in Basel and Paris, the world number six will also be out of the ATP World Tour Finals, which will be played from 13-20 November in London. Notably, Nadal went down in the final of the Swiss Indoors last year against Roger Federer in a three-setter.
Nadal revealed that forced recovery in order to compete at this year's Summer Games did damage to his fitness. Notably, the 30-year-old was ousted from the Shanghai Masters earlier this month after losing to Serbia's Viktor Troicki in straight games in the second round.
"It is no secret that I arrived to the Olympic Games short of preparation and not fully recovered, 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 said, in an official statement released on his Facebook page.
"I am very saddened for not being able to play next week in Basel since I have a great memory of the tournament and the final played against Roger Federer last year. I won't be able to compete either in Paris-Bercy.
"I am very saddened for not being able to play next week in Basel since I have a great memory of the tournament and the final played against Roger Federer last year. I won't be able to compete either in Paris-Bercy."
Nadal has finished a season (2016) without winning a Grand Slam for only the third time since 2004 as he also went winless in 2015.
Notably, Federer announced he was done for the 2016 season as early as in June to recover from his persisting knee injury. The Swiss reached the semi-final of the Australian Open and the Wimbledon but decided to opt out of French Open this season.
