Nine-time French Open champion, Rafael Nadal, announced his withdrawal from the 2016 French Open today, citing a left wrist injury as the reason.

Nadal, seeded fourth, was due to face fellow Spaniard, Marcel Granollers in the third round tomorrow.

He stated at a press conference today, that the injury first flared up during his quarter final match against Joao Sousa at the Madrid Masters. He returned to Barcelona for treatment and then went on to play in the Rome Masters where he lost to Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals. He had been taking anti-inflammatories but the pain started again before he arrived in Paris.

According to Nadal, he underwent an MRI and the results were not favourable. He said that the wrist was not broken but that if he continued to play, it would be broken in the next couple of days.

Nadal, wanting to avoid surgery and wearing a wrist brace, will keep it immobilised  for a couple of weeks, then undergo treatment and hopes to be back on the courts at Wimbledon in June.