Rafael Jodar’s wait to play a grass-court match at the ATP level goes on.
The young Spaniard, who only turned professional at the start of this year, was expected to compete against the likes of Alex de Minaur and Felix Auger-Aliassime for the Queen’s Club title this week.
However, his hopes of winning a first grass-court title have come to a swift end.
Can Rafael Jodar fill the void left by Carlos Alcaraz?
He's certainly stepped up in his absence so far…
On Monday afternoon, Jodar’s withdrawal from the West London event was confirmed by the tournament.
Soon after the announcement, Jodar released a statement explaining the reason for his withdrawal.
Rafael Jodar has been experiencing discomfort in his abdominal area
“I’m very sorry that I won’t be able to play at Queen’s this week,” the Spaniard said in an Instagram post.
“Over the last few training sessions, I’ve been experiencing some discomfort in my abdominal area and, after consulting with the specialists, we’ve made the decision not to compete so that I can recover properly and get back on court as soon as possible.
“Thank you everyone who came to say hello these past days at Queens. I hope to be back stronger next year!”
It remains to be seen whether Jodar will be able to compete in any of the remaining grass-court events this season.
Jodar was also expected to play at the Eastbourne Open. However, after his latest announcement, his status at the event is now uncertain.
The youngster will hope to have made a full recovery by the time Wimbledon starts later this month.
The major event is scheduled to begin on June 29.
Who is your early shout to win the men’s Wimbledon title?
The Queen’s Club withdrawal crisis
Jodar’s withdrawal is far from the first of its kind at this year’s Queen’s Club event.
A plethora of high-profile players have withdrawn from the tournament over the past month, including Jack Draper, Lorenzo Musetti, Valentin Vacherot and Luciano Darderi.
Queen’s Club withdrawals and replacements
- Alexander Blockx – replaced by Aleksandar Kovacevic
- Luciano Darderi – replaced by Ignacio Buse
- Jack Draper – replaced by Gabriel Diallo
- Jaume Munar – replaced by Zachary Svajda
- Lorenzo Musetti – replaced by Botic van de Zandschulp
- Holger Rune – replaced by Márton Fucsovics
- Valentin Vacherot – replaced by Hamad Medjedovic
- Rafael Jodar – replaced by Marcos Giron
Of the withdrawals listed above, Americans Aleksandar Kovacevic and Zachary Svajda have entered the main draw as lucky losers.
Carlos Alcaraz, the world number two, also withdrew from the entire grass-court swing last month to focus on his recovery from a wrist injury.
Jodar, meanwhile, has reportedly been replaced in the main draw by American Marcos Giron.
