By Chris Oddo | Monday November 5, 2018

Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from next week’s ATP Finals and will have surgery to remove a “free body” in his ankle joint today. The 17-time major champion took to social media today to officially end his season, saying that he was still suffering from the abdominal injury that pushed him out of Paris, and adding the news about the ankle injury, which he said had been detected for quite some time.

Nadal says that the decision to fix the ankle problem came because his abdominal injury caused him to decide against participating in London.

Desafortunadamente tuve el problema del abdominal en Paris la semana pasada y, además, tengo un cuerpo libre en la articulación del tobillo que tiene que ser removido en quirófano hoy.

— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) November 5, 2018

According to a statement from his team, Nadal has a "intra articulate free body bone on his right ankle" that needs to be removed.

"Rafael Nadal presents an intra articulate free body bone on his right ankle. An arthroscopy will be practiced to remove it and be able to be in perfect conditions for the beginning of next season", Angel Ruiz-Cotorro, in statement via Rafa's team

— Carole Bouchard (@carole_bouchard) November 5, 2018

He plans to be in good health for the 2019 season.

Nadal finishes 2018 with a 45-4 record and five titles. He won his 11th Roland Garros title to go with his eleventh titles at Monte-Carlo and Barcelona. He also won his eighth Internazionali BNL d’Italia title in Rome and the Rogers Cup.

The 32-year-old is 918-189 lifetime with 80 titles to his name.