Nadal withdraws from ATP Finals

Immediately following his three-set defeat to David Goffin at the ATP Finals on Monday, Rafael Nadal headed into his press conference to declare his 2017 officially over.

“I am off. My season is finished,” he said.

The world No.1 had been dealing with a troublesome knee since winning his second Grand Slam title of the season at the US Open.

It first seemed to surface in Shanghai, forced him to skip Basel and withdraw from his quarterfinal in Paris, and struck again in London.

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Nadal was clearly injury-affected during his match against Goffin, who scored his first win against the Spaniard in three attempts.

Rafael Nadal when qualified for World Tour Finals

2005 Unable to play
2006 SF
2007 SF
2008 Unable to play
2009 RR
2010 F
2011 RR
2012 Unable to play
2013 F
2014 Unable to play
2015 SF
2016 Unable to play
2017 Withdraws after 1 match

— Christopher Clarey (@christophclarey) November 13, 2017

“I made the commitment with the event, the city, with myself. I did the thing that I had to do to try to be ready to play,” Nadal said.

“I tried, but seriously was miracle to be very close in the score during the match. It really don’t make sense.

“I know during the match. Is not a decision I take five minutes ago. Is a decision that I take during the match. Even winning, even losing, I going to pull out because I was not enjoying on court at all. Was not fun to play like this.

“I really believed that I don’t deserve after this great season to spend two more days on court with this terrible feelings, no?

“But I am not going to cry. I had a great season.”

Indeed, Nadal’s haul in 2017 included two Grand Slam titles – at Roland Garros and Flushing Meadows – among six trophies and a return to world No.1 for the first time in three years.

He completed the season with 67 match wins and almost $13 million in prize money.