Rafael Nadal will not play in Rotterdam. The King of Clay was eager to get back to play this tournament after deciding to skip his usual tour in Latin America most probably because of the complications caused by the pandemic.
The injury and schedule
Rafa got injured to his back during the Australian swing. He managed to play the slam Down Under, but apparently the injury was not solved when back in Spain. Therefore, Rafa had to follow the advice of his doctor not to play the upcoming ATP 500.
“It is with great sadness that I have to forfeit from Rotterdam. As most of the fans know, I suffered some back problems in Australia that started in Adelaide and continued during Melbourne. We found a temporary solution that allowed me to play without pain in the second week of the tournament,” twisted Nadal.
Once I got back to Spain I visited my doctor and together with my team they’ve advised not to play this upcoming week. I was really looking forward to coming back to Rotterdam and The Netherlands since it’s been a while I played there this was the perfect year for my calendar. I hope to come back and play there soon. All the best to the tournament, always a top class event,” he added.
Skipping Miami
Rafa hasn’t scheduled any other event in the next few weeks. In theory, he is supposed to play the ATP1000 in Miami (22nd of March). However, it is quite plausible that he will be back to competitions only for the clay-court season to get the best preparation to win another French Open and clinch his 21st slam.
The entry list and the main draw
Unfortunately, many players pulled out from Rotterdam in the last few days. Many decided to compete as they were still struggling with injuries that occurred in Australia. Matteo Berrettini and Pablo Carreno Busta decided not to play because of their abdominal injury. The tournament also lost Denis Shapovalov, Taylor Fritz, and Casper Ruud.
Stefanos Tsitsipas, Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev will be the top seeds.
| Seed | Name | Ranking |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Daniil Medvedev | 3 |
| 2 | Stefanos Tsitsipas | 6 |
| 3 | (WC) Alexander Zverev | 7 |
| 4 | Andrey Rublev | 8 |
| 5 | Gael Monfils | 12 |
| 6 | Roberto Bautista Agut | 13 |
| 7 | Milos Raonic | 14 |
| 8 | David Goffin | 15 |
| Felix Auger-Aliassime | 19 | |
| Stan Wawrinka | 20 | |
| Karen Khachanov | 21 | |
| Alex de Minaur | 23 | |
| Borna Coric | 26 | |
| Dusan Lajovic | 27 | |
| Daniel Evans | 28 | |
| Hubert Hurkacz | 30 | |
| Filip Krajinovic | 31 | |
| Ugo Humbert | 32 | |
| Jannik Sinner | 34 | |
| Adrian Mannarino | 35 | |
| Lorenzo Sonego | 36 | |
| Jan-Lennard Struff | 37 | |
| John Millman | 39 | |
| Reilly Opelka | 38 | |
| (WC) Kei Nishikori | 43 | |
| (WC) Andy Murray | 121 | |
| (WC) Botic Van de Zandschulp | 145 |
Rafael Nadal in 2021
Currently ranked no.2, Nadal played his last match on the 17th of February when he surrendered to Stefanos Tsitsipas 3-6 2-6 7-6(4) 6-4 7-5 in the quarter of the Australian Open (draw).
At present, during this year Rafael has achieved a compiled 4-1 win-loss record.
Stefanos Tsitsipas in 2021
At the moment ranked no.6, Stefanos played his last match on the 19th of February when he capitulated to Daniil Medvedev 6-4 6-2 7-5 in the semifinal of the Australian Open (draw).
This year Stefanos achieved a 6-1 record. Stefanos Tsitsipas’s latest run at the Australian Open was the best achievement of his season.
Rafael Nadal and Stefanos Tsitsipas played each other 8 times. Their actual head to head record is 6-2 for Nadal. The last time they fought against each other, Stefanos Tsitsipas won 3-6 2-6 7-6(4) 6-4 7-5 in the quarter in Melbourne (Australian Open) on the 17th of February 2021.
Here the highlights.
Daniil Medvedev in 2021
Ranked world no.3 (career-high), the Russian played his last match on the 21st of February when he capitulated to Novak Djokovic 7-5 6-2 6-2 in the final of the Australian Open (draw).
During this season Daniil has a 10-1 record. Daniil Medvedev’s latest run at the Australian Open was the best achievement of his season.
Alexander Zverev in 2021
Ranked no.7, Zverev played his last match on the 16th of February when he was defeated by Novak Djokovic 6-7(6) 6-2 6-4 7-6(6) in the quarter of the Australian Open (draw).
Until now, during this year Zverev has a 5-3 match record.
Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev played each other 9 times. The head to head is 5-4 for Zverev. The last time they locked horns, Daniil Medvedev won 3-6 6-3 7-5 in the semifinal in Melbourne (ATP Cup) on the 6th of February 2021.
Here the highlights.
