Rafael Nadal Withdraws From ATP World Tour Finals To Undergo Surgery, Opens Slots For Andy Murray And David Ferrer

Rafael Nadal's last tournament for 2014 was his match against the teenage Borna Coric at Basel Swiss Indoors, as he recently withdrew from the ATP World Tour Finals in London to make way for his upcoming surgery on Nov. 3. The Spaniard himself revealed that he will not join the Paris Bercy Masters and ATP World Tour Finals while he talked about his unsolved back issues, which has been his problem since he lost in the finals in Australia against Stan Wawrinka.

"I will not play both in Paris and London, I currently am not able to play at my best. I will undergo surgery for my appendicitis on November 3rd in Spain," Rafael Nadal revealed during his press conference in Basel.

The world no. 3 further claimed that he does not regret playing in Basel and he is aware that he will lose sometime in the course of the tournament. He claimed that he will not push through with the upcoming tournaments because he is a player who wins, not someone who just qualifies for the quarterfinals. Following his appendectomy, Rafael Nadal is set to be back in 2015, where his campaign will start in Doha.

Meanwhile, from three available slots for the ATP World Tour Finals, another slot was opened when Rafael Nadal revealed his withdrawal from the event next month. This comes as good news for the two guys who have been racing one another for a slot for the season finale, Andy Murray and David Ferrer.

Murray and Ferrer have exchanged positions a couple of times through the Asian swing for a spot at the ATP World Tour Finals, which only features the top eight world ranked tennis players. Andy Murray started aiming for the most coveted slot when he took a wild card for the Shenzhen tournament, where he eventually bagged the title. At the Shanghai Masters, David Ferrer beat the British no. 1 in three sets, and then Murray took revenge in Europe where he won against Ferrer in the Vienna finals.

Once again, the rivals are scheduled to meet in back-to-back tournaments in Valencia. Andy Murray with a wild card will face his Spaniard rival in the semifinals. Whoever wins will lead the London race.

Source: YouTube/RafaelNadalKingOfTennis