The worst fears have been confirmed. Nadal has withdrawn from the Monte-Carlo Masters

Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal has announced his withdrawal from the Monte-Carlo Masters tournament in Monaco, scheduled to begin on April 7th.

The former world number one revealed on social media that he is unable to return to the court due to his health condition.

"Hello everyone! These are difficult times for me sportingly speaking. Unfortunately I inform you that I am not going to play in Monte Carlo. My body just won't let me.

And even if I am working hard & making the maximum effort every day with all the will to play and compete again at tournaments that have been very important for me, the truth is that I can’t play today. You have no idea how hard this is for me to not be able to play these events.

The only thing I can do is to accept the situation and try to look at the immediate future keeping the excitement and will to play in order to give me a chance for things to get better. Thanks again to all, as always, for all the support and best wishes!" wrotten Nadal.

Earlier reports suggested that the renowned tennis player may miss even more time due to back issues.

To recap, the 37-year-old Nadal attempted to return to the tour during the American series of tournaments, but without success. He stated that he is not yet ready to compete at that level.