RAFAEL NADAL is now free to defend his US Open crown after the Madrid Open was cancelled.
The Spaniard, 34, was considering not flying to the Flushing Meadows event over Covid-19 concerns.
His revised plans involved playing in the Spanish capital on September 14 – the day after the New York event is supposed to finish.
But the ATP and WTA have now confirmed the rescheduled Madrid tournament will be axed due to a spike in local cases.
A statement said: “Following the strong recommendation of the local health authorities, and having monitored the situation for months, organisers have no choice but to cancel the tournament.
“This is due to the complex situation that Covid-19 continues to generate in every regard.
“After a spike in Covid-19 cases, the community of Madrid announced a few days ago a number of new measures to control the virus’ spread.
“This included a directive that social gatherings are to be reduced to ten people, both in public and private meetings, further reducing the feasibility of operating the tournament.”
And the scrapping of the Masters 1000 event could hinder Nadal’s preparations in his bid to win a record-extending 13th French Open.
The Mallorca hero has reigned supreme at the Madrid Open four times since its switch to clay 11 years ago – in 2010, 2013, 2014 and 2017 – and each time has gone on to claim the crown at Roland Garros at the end of the clay-court swing.
He reached the semi-finals last year but was beaten by Greek sensation Stefanos Tsitsipas in three sets.
The 2021 event will take place at the Caja Magica between April 30 and May 9.
And it means Andy Murray, who won the Madrid title in 2008 and 2015, will be the only male champion in 2020.
That is because the British star won the Virtual Madrid Open at the end of April, beating David Goffin 7-6 in the final on Playstation game Tennis World Tour.
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