Rafael Nadal has had to withdraw from the 10th Edition of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship (MWTC), and will be replaced by Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut.

Nadal said: “I am very sorry and disappointed to announce that I won’t be competing this year at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship. This would have been my ninth participation in the tournament where I love to play and marking the beginning of my season.”

“It was a tough 2017 and I need to take my calendar in a different way in order to be ready.  For this reason, I have sadly announced to the organisers and now to you fans that I won’t play this time in Abu Dhabi. I really want to thank them for understanding and I am sending a special warm message to my fans in the UAE and in Abu Dhabi in particular,” he added.

Bautista Agut, has ended four straight seasons in the top 25 in the world, has won two ATP titles in 2017, winning in both Winston-Salem and Chennai. The Spaniard has six career titles to date, with another memorable career victory coming over then world number one and fellow MTWC10 participant Novak Djokovic to reach the 2016 ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai final.

The MWTC will run from December 28 to 30 at the International Tennis Center at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi. – TradeArabia News Service