Rafael Nadal cuts season short due to injury

Rafael Nadal, currently ranked 6th in the world, has decided to bring his 2016 campaign to a close due to a lingering left wrist injury.

Rafael Nadal suffered a left wrist injury roughly two to three months ago, and hasn’t really been the same since. It was evident he was playing in the Rio Olympic Games despite obvious pain. Along with playing in Rio, Nadal’s preparation leading up to the Games didn’t help with his recovery process either.

Last Thursday, Nadal took to Facebook to announce he was ending his 2016 campaign just months before 2017 begins.

With some upcoming tournaments, including the Swiss Indoors Basel (Switzerland), Erste Bank Open 500 (Austria), and the BNP Paribas Masters (France), Nadal really isn’t missing a whole lot. However, with his decision, this also puts Nadal out of the ATP World Tour Finals later next month, which he was was on pace to qualify to compete.

Looking back at this year’s majors, Nadal pulled himself out of the French Open before his third-round match, and a few weeks later withdrew from Wimbledon. He also faced a fourth round exit in the U.S. Open, and a first round defeat in the Australian Open, which marked only the second time he’s lost that early in a Grand Slam.

As a left-hander, Nadal’s wrist injury poses a serious threat to the rest of his career. This injury very well could be the beginning of the end for Rafa. It’s obvious that fans would love to see him compete with the likes of Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, and Roger Federer for another year; but if 2017 is anything like 2016, or even worse, Nadal’s playing career could be in some serious jeopardy.