Rafael Nadal is OUT of the Australian Open after making a brutally honest admission ahead of the tournament in Melbourne

Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the Australian Open in heartbreaking scenes for tennis fans.

Nadal, 37, revealed he had 'a little problem' during his three-set defeat to Jordan Thompson in Brisbane on Friday night and as a result cannot 'compete at the maximum level' in Melbourne.

“Hello everyone, during my last match in Brisbane I had a small problem with a muscle which, as you know, worried me,” he said in a statement on Twitter.

'Once I got to Melbourne I had the chance to do an MRI and I have a micro tear in a muscle, not in the same part where I had the injury and that's good news.

'Right now I'm not ready to compete at the maximum level in five-set matches. I'm flying back to Spain to see my doctor, get treatment and rest.'

More to follow.