A knee injury will keep Rafael Nadal out of tennis for the next two months, including Spain's Davis Cup semifinal against the United States, the world No. 3 announced on Monday.
Nadal, 26, is suffering from a partial tear of the patella ligament in his left knee.
The seven-time French Open champion has not played since a second-round upset by Czech Lukas Rosol at Wimbledon, and has missed the Olympic Games and the U.S. Open tournament.
"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 said on Twitter.
"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 be back when I have no pain and able to compete with a guarantee.”
Nadal was part of the Spain Davis Cup team that won the finals in 2004, 2008, 2009 and 2011.
The Davis Cup semifinals start on September 14, where Spain faces the United States and the Czech Republic meets Argentina.
