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Rafael Nadal withdraws from Montreal’s National Bank Open due to abdominal injury

Aug 5, 2022 | 7:43 AM

MONTREAL — The National Bank Open lost one its star attractions on Friday after five-time champion Rafael Nadal announced his withdrawal from the tournament.

The Spaniard said he is still being bothered by a torn abdominal muscle that forced him to pull out of Wimbledon before the semifinals.

Nadal, a winner of 22-time major singles titles, was seeded second at the ATP Tour event behind defending champion Daniil Medvedev.

Due to Nadal’s withdrawal, American Mackenzie McDonald moved directly into the main draw.

On Thursday, Novak Djokovic, a winner of 21 Grand Slam titles, withdrew from the Montreal tournament because he is not vaccinated against COVID-19 and is therefore not allowed to enter Canada.

The tournament draw was scheduled to be unveiled Friday afternoon.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 5, 2022.

The Canadian Press