Tennis - Rafael Nadal exhibition match alongside former WTA Grand Slam champion Gabriela Sabatini - Parque Roca, Buenos Aires, Argentina - November 23, 2022 Spain's Rafael Nadal in action during his exhibition match against Norway's Casper Ruud REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian/File Photo
(Reuters) - Rafael Nadal has pulled out of next week's Qatar Open and postponed his return to competitive tennis because he has yet to make a full recovery from the torn muscle he suffered in Brisbane last month.
Nadal had been expected to make his return at the ATP 250 tournament in Doha staring on Feb. 19 after the Spaniard's name appeared on the entry list.
"I would have loved to play in Doha, where the tournament team, as well as the amazing Qatar fans have always supported me greatly. Unfortunately I am not ready to compete," Nadal said on social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
The 37-year-old added he is hoping to be fit for the exhibition against fellow Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz in Las Vegas on March 3 before making his ATP comeback at Indian Wells a few days later.
The former world number one returned to action in Brisbane after spending almost a year out on the sidelines with a hip flexor injury sustained at last year's Australian Open.
He did not compete again last season after undergoing surgery in June and his comeback in Brisbane was cut short after he suffered an upper left leg issue during his quarter-final outing.
(Reporting by Anita Kobylinska in Gdansk, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
