Nadal backs out from US Open with wrist injury

Spanish tennis ace Rafael Nadal would not be defending his US Open title as he withdrew from the event with an injury to his right wrist.

The world number two suffered the wrist injury in training on 29 July, and missed two warm-up tournaments in Toronto and Cincinnati. Nadal had hoped to recover before 25 August, when the US Open gets under way at Flushing Meadows.

Nadal wrote on his Facebook page that he is very sorry to announce that he won't be able to play at this year's US Open, adding that he is sure people understand that it is a very tough moment for him since it is a tournament he loves and where he has great memories from fans, the night matches, so many things, The BBC reported.

The Spaniard further wrote that he cannot do much more right now, other than accept the situation and, as always in his case, work hard in order to be able to compete at the highest level once he is back.

Nadal has not competed since Australian teenager Nick Kyrgios beat him on 1 July in the fourth round at Wimbledon.

The former world number one announced late last month that he would not be defending either his Rogers Cup title in Toronto or his Western and Southern Open crown in Cincinnati. Both tournaments are key hard-court warm-ups for the US Open, at which Nadal hoped to chase a 15th career Grand Slam title.

The Spaniard beat Serbia's Novak Djokovic 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 to win last year's title at Flushing Meadows, the report added.