|
"I'm not ready to play... I fought a lot
knowing it was my last match of the season," the world number
one, who had also quit midway through the Paris Masters
tournament two weeks ago, told reporters following his 7-6(5)
6-7(4) 6-4 defeat by Goffin.
"My commitment was to try... I've missed this event too many
times in my career," added the Spaniard who has been plagued by
knee injuries throughout his career.
Nadal, who was hobbling around the court for much of the third
set of his contest against Goffin, qualified for the season
ending tournament for the 13th successive year but withdrew
before the start on five previous occasions.
Monday's withdrawal means the 31-year-old, who claimed the
French and U.S. Open trophies this year to increase his grand
slam haul to 16 titles, has yet to win the season-ending
tournament.
"I was not enjoying it (out there today) so it was no fun to
play like this. But I had an unforgettable season," he added.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
[© 2017 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2017 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
|
