Rafael Nadal's Wimbledon hopes have taken a hit.
Nadal, whose quest for a 10th Roland Garros title was derailed by a wrist injury that forced him to pull out of Paris, officially withdrew from Queen's Club today because of the wrist injury.
Watch: Bautista Agut Makes Djokovic Wail
Andy Murray is the top seed for the Aegon Championships, which will be staged June 13th-19th June at The Queen’s Club.
Nadal told the media the injury, which began to cause him problems in Madrid earlier this month, could worsen significantly if he continued to play. He has been advised to rest his wrist in the short-term.
“I am very sad that my wrist injury means that I cannot play at The Queen’s Club this year,” said Nadal, who won the title as part of an historic Roland Garros, Queen’s, Wimbledon triple crown run in 2008. “It is a tournament and a club that I love, I enjoy playing in front of the British people, and I was looking forward to trying to win the title for a second time. I wish everyone at the tournament a great week, and I look forward to returning in future years.”
The withdrawal puts Nadal's hopes for a Wimbledon return in jeopardy. Though he has played Wimbledon without a grass-court tune-up in the past and said in Paris he hopes to play The Championships, the fact that Nadal said he cannot practice puts his fitness for Wimbledon in question.
"We expect to recover quickly, to be ready for Wimbledon, no?” Nadal said at his Roland Garros press conference. “But at this moment, you know, it's not a moment to talk about that. It's just a moment to go day by day, to work hard. I hope to have a fast recovery.”
Photo credit: Getty