Rafael Nadal withdraws from next week's Copa Claro in Buenos Aires

Rafael Nadal injured his back during the Australian Open final against Stanislas Wawrinka. (Mark Kolbe/Getty Images) Rafael Nadal announced on Twitter that he

Courtney Nguyen|

Rafael Nadal injured his back during the Australian Open final against Stanislas Wawrinka. (Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

Rafael Nadal announced on Twitter that he is withdrawing from next week's Copa Claro in Buenos Aires, Argentina, an ATP 250 event.

While Nadal's participation was already doubtful given the back injury he sustained before the Australian Open final two weeks ago versus Stanislas Wawrinka, the Spaniard cited a stomach virus that derailed his practice and preparation as the reason for his withdrawal. His next scheduled tournament is the inaugural Rio Open, which begins on Feb. 17th.

Here's Nadal's message in Spanish to fans regarding his withdrawal. Come for the sad announcement and stay for the backdrop, which includes just a few of his Grand Slam trophies:

http://youtu.be/mePZsPUAVuo

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Published Feb 6, 2014 | Modified Feb 6, 2014

COURTNEY NGUYEN

Contributor, SI.com Nguyen is a freelance writer for SI.com, providing full coverage of professional tennis both on and off the court. Her content has become a must-read for fans and insiders to stay up-to-date with a sport that rarely rests. She has appeared on radio and TV talk shows all over the world and is one of the co-hosts of No Challenges Remaining, a weekly podcast available on iTunes. Nguyen graduated from the University of California, Irvine in 1999 and received a law degree from the University of California, Davis in 2002. She lives in the Bay Area.

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