PARIS, Jan 10: World No. 2 Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the Australian Open because of a foot injury, the Spaniard announced on his website on Tuesday.

The Australian Open, the first of the year’s four Grand Slam tournaments, starts in Melbourne on Monday and had already been hit by the withdrawal of Andre Agassi and fitness doubts over champion Marat Safin and Russian glamour girl Maria Sharapova.

The 19-year-old Nadal, who won his first major title at last year’s French Open, would have been seeded second and due to play top seed Roger Federer in the final.

But after missing the opening tournaments of the year which are geared at preparing for the Australian Open, he decided after a new training stint in Barcelona that he would not be fit in time to play.

The player’s website said that an official announcement was about to be made.

“Although his foot has improved, he’s not 100 percent and although he wants to play in Australia it’s best that he passes and gets ready for the rest of the year,” the website www.vamosrafael.com said.

Nadal had a phenomenal 2005 during which he won 10 titles, including the French Open, to hold the number two ranking behind Federer.

But he has not played since the Madrid Masters in October missing the end-of-season Masters Cup in Shanghai.

He is now due to return to action at the ATP Marseille event on February 13.

His absence will likely mean that Andy Roddick of the United States will take over the second seeding at Melbourne.—AFP