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Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the Australian Open in heartbreaking scenes for tennis fans.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