Friday 24 October 2014 23:53, UK
Rafael Nadal has pulled out of the ATP Finals in London next month to have surgery on his appendix.
Nadal had already withdrawn from next week's BNP Paribas Masters in Paris, citing personal reasons, but he has now announced that he will undergo surgery on November 3 and therefore sit out the ATP Finals, which start six days later.
The 28-year-old made the announcement after losing to 17-year-old Borna Coric in a sub-par performance in the quarter-finals of the Swiss Indoors in Basel, where he was playing in only his third tournament since Wimbledon.
I'm not going to Paris and London. I'm not competitive enough
The 14-time Grand Slam winner said: "I'm not going to Paris and London. I'm not competitive enough. I am going to have surgery on November 3."
The Spaniard had revealed earlier this month in Shanghai that he was suffering from appendicitis which he was attempting to manage with antibiotics rather than undergo surgery.
He has also been struggling with a back injury for most of the year and says he will use his down time to ensure he is 100% fit for the start of the 2015 season.
"I need to work on my back a lot," said Nadal. "Since Australia I'm not 100 per cent recovered. That needs time and a period of five weeks to work hard again.
"I need to try to fix all the things that bother me. I'm going to work for one month in December and I will be back at the start of 2015."
US Open champion Marin Cilic and Ernests Gulbis have also withdrawn from the Paris Masters - Cilic has a right arm injury and Gulbis a right shoulder injury.
Nadal's withdrawal improves Andy Murray's hopes of a place in the season-ending tournament at the O2 even if he cannot force his way into one of the eight automatic qualifying berths.
