Rafael Nadal announced he’s dropping out of the Monte Carlo Masters. It’s the third tournament this year where he’s been unable to compete due to his injuries.

Nadal shared the statement on social media, alongside a video of him training in a clay court. “Hi all, these are very difficult moments for me, sporting wise. Unfortunately I have to tell you that I am not going to be playing in Monte Carlo. My body simply won’t allow me,” he wrote.

“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!”

Last year, Nadal was unable to play after experiencing a hip injury that had to be addressed in surgery. He took the year off to recuperate and spend time with his family, returning to tennis at the start of the season, in January.

Nadal’s favorite tournament is within weeks

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Over the past months, Nadal dropped out of the Australian Open after experiencing a muscle injury. This in turn has resulted in him being unable to play in Indian Wells and now the Monte Carlo Masters.

Nadal and his team have shared limited information on the nature of his injury. Last month, he played an exhibition match against Carlos Alcaraz for a Netflix special, losing the match but holding his own. Within six weeks is the Roland Garros, in France, a tournament that Nadal has won 14 times and that he’s referred to as one of his favorites. It’s possible that he’s training and saving his strenght for that occasion.