Knee injury to keep Rafael Nadal out of tennis for another two months

The current world number three will miss Spain's forthcoming Davis Cup tie as he continues to recover from a torn patella tendon.

Knee problems have blighted Rafael Nadal since this year's Wimbledon tournament.

MADRID // Rafael Nadal will be sidelined for another two months as he battles back from a knee injury.

The world number three has not played since a shock second-round loss to Lukas Rosol at Wimbledon, missing the Olympics and the current US Open as a result.

He will now sit out Spain's Davis Cup semi-final clash with the United States later this month as he continues his rehabilitation.

In a statement released through his official Twitter account, Nadal said: "I have missed the Olympics and the US Open in the last few weeks, two of the most important tournaments of the year and (ones) that I really wanted to play.

"I really want to be back competing and enjoying the tennis tour, but I have many years in front of me and my knee needs some rest."

Nadal, 26, has a partial tear of the patella tendon in his left knee and is insistent he will not return until he is 100% fit.

He added: "I will be back when I have no pain and able to compete with guarantees.

"I feel better after the meeting with my doctors and happy knowing that the evolution of the past weeks has been positive and surgery has been avoided.

"I will continue to work with the plan my doctors have established to be able to compete as soon as possible in the right conditions."

The former world number one was embarking on another stellar year when the injury struck.

He lost in the final of the Australian Open in an epic five-set encounter to Novak Djokovic but then clinched his seventh French Open by gaining revenge over the Serbian at Roland Garros.

He also claimed titles at Rome, Barcelona and Monte Carlo.

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