Rafael Nadal withdrew from the clay-court Monte Carlo Masters on Tuesday, saying he cannot yet compete at the highest level.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion has been sidelined with a left hip flexor injury since the Australian Open. The Monte Carlo Masters begins on April 8.
“I will not be able to play in one of the most important tournaments of my career, Monte Carlo,” Nadal wrote on Twitter. “I’m still not in a position to play with the maximum guarantees and I’m continuing my preparation process, hoping to return soon.”
Second-place finisher Carlos Alcaraz and seventh-place finisher Felix Auger-Aliassime from Montreal also withdrew from the event.
Alcaraz withdrew due to “physical discomfort” after his semifinal loss in Florida last week. The Spaniard had been so dominant recently that he had not dropped a set since February before that loss.
“I have post-traumatic arthritis in my left hand and muscular ailments in my spine that need rest to prepare me for everything that is to come,” said the 19-year-old Spaniard.
Auger-Aliassime needs to rest his left knee.
“I’ve been struggling with my left knee for the past few weeks and decided it was the smartest move to take some time off so I could fully heal and recover,” the 22-year-old Canadian wrote on Instagram.
Nadal has won the Monte Carlo tournament a record 11 times, including an Open Era record run of eight consecutive titles between 2005 and 2012. The 36-year-old Spaniard typically uses the event as a key part of his preparations for the Monte Carlo Open. France, which takes place from May 28 to June 11.
Nadal has won 14 of his major clay-court titles at Roland Garros, including last year while dealing with chronic pain in his left foot.
In January, Nadal strained his hip flexor during a second-round loss to Mackenzie McDonald at the Australian Open.