Rafael Nadal, the world number four in men's singles tennis withdraws from U.S Open, ends his 2021 season due to left foot injury

Nadal, 35, has been troubled by this injury issue for a year, causing him the chance to knock into the French Open finals against Novak Djokovic.

Rafael Nadal, the world number four in men's singles tennis, said on Friday that he will retire from the sport in 2021 due to a left foot ailment, which means he will miss the upcoming U.S. Open, joining a growing list of players who have pulled out of the tournament.

"I wanted to inform you that unfortunately, I have to end the 2021 season," wrote the Spaniard on Twitter.

Nadal, 35, has been affected by an injury for over a year, denying him the chance to compete in the French Open finals against Novak Djokovic, who went on to win the tournament.

He subsequently dropped out of two tournaments, the Cincinnati Masters and the Canadian Open, after a shocking loss in Washington, D.C., earlier this month.

"Honestly, I have been suffering much more than I should with my foot for a year and I need to take some time... to find a solution to this problem or at least improve it in order to continue to have options for the next few years," Nadal said.

"I'm with the maximum enthusiasm and predisposition to do whatever it takes to recover the best possible shape to keep competing for the things that really motivate me."

"I'm convinced that with the recovery of the foot and obviously a very important daily effort... this can be achieved. I will work as hard as I can to make it happen."

Nadal joins Roger Federer and Dominic Thiem as top-ranked players who will not compete in the US Open this year, boosting Djokovic's chances of winning yet another Grand Slam.