Nadal OUT of 2013 Australian Open
 

No this isn't trolling it should be for real now.

That means out of Doha as well.

Craig Gabriel ‏@crosscourt1
JUST IN - official. Rafa Nadal is out of the Australian Open due to stomach virus.

Jon Wertheim ‏@jon_wertheim
From the camp : Rafa Nadal will not play DOHA & MELBOURNE... a stomach virus makes him stop his rehabilitation and thinks in the new season

Waaaaay too fishy, I mean really??

Nadal will drop to #5 I guess, well all your wishes came true.

Craig Gabriel ‏@crosscourt1
With Nadal not playing till Acapulco (25 Feb), means by then it would be 8 mths since last official match - 2nd RD Wimbledon

Update: on the official AO website
http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/...705033061.html

Shocking stuff.

For the skeptics:
http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/...705033061.html

Wow. Really didn't see this coming.

Well there goes my "all the big 4" make the semis prediction....assuming this is legit I can't find any info on it as we speak

I just googled and I didn't see any information on that. I don't think it can be true.

If wertheim is tweeting it then it's probably legit.

Check my post (#2) or the AO website.

I think those are twitter sources

Ok, this link should just be pasted everywhere until people realize this is a true story.

http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/...705033061.html

'

If you limit the search to 'within an hour' you'll see them.

http://www.tennis.com/news/2012/12/r.../#.UN24neS86rY

Christopher Clarey ‏@christophclarey
Toni #Nadal: "It is simply not conceivable that his first event is a best of five sets event, he wouldn’t be ready for that." #tennis

Christopher Clarey ‏@christophclarey
Nadal now plans return in Acapulco: "The safest thing to do is to do things well & this virus has delayed my plans of playing" #tennis

Nadal plans to come back on 25th Feb in Acapulco, but there's a possibility that he'll play an ATP event before that.

It's legit guys - direct quote from toni:

"It is simply not conceivable that his first event is a best of five sets event, he wouldn’t be ready for that.

OMG yes it's on the AO website damn

good spot mate

Yeah, thanks

Very shocking !

I REALLY want to know what's going on with this guy...

From his facebook:

As my team and doctors say, the safest thing to do is to do things well and this virus has delayed my plans of playing these weeks. I will have to wait until the Acapulco tournament to compete again although I could consider to play before at any other ATP event

My knee is much better and the rehabilitation process has gone well as predicted by the doctors, but this virus didn’t allow me to practice this past week and therefore I am sorry to announce that I will not play in Doha and the Australian Open, as we had initially scheduled.



Silent ban???????

Nadal will not be back at all. Just wait and see.

Is there anything that would convince you, Mr. Clarky21, that Nadal is not a pathetic Futures player that should retire? :-P

Been declaring that half-jokingly awhile ago that Rosol literally sent Nadal to retirement, this is getting more true as each day goes on.

fail

This is a great scenario for Nadal to begin his comeback at Acapulco. He can build his confidence by winning a NINTH consecutive Monte Carlo title (and a 2nd Acapulco title, which he last won in 2005), a SEVENTH Rome title (in 9 attempts), an 8th Barcelona title (in 8 attempts) and an EIGHTH Roland Garros title (and it would be the second time he has won a slam four consecutive times).

And Nadal has the perfect opportunity to win slams on clay, grass and hard-court all in a calendar year AGAIN.

And Nadal can break the Borg/Sampras/Federer/Nadal tie of winning one slam per year for eight consecutive years (he'll make is NINE in 2013).

And Nadal can break the Wilander/Nadal tie of winning two slams on each surface (with a Wimbledon2013 win and a USOpen2013 win). :-P