Rafael Nadal will miss the US Open later this month and the rest of the 2021 tennis season due to a foot injury.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion missed the Cincinnati Masters and Canadian Open because of the injury to his left foot.

The 35-year-old said: "Honestly, I have been suffering a lot more than I should with my foot for a year and I need to take some time."

He added: "Having discussed it with the team and family, this decision has been made and I believe that it is the way forward to try to recover and recover well.

"I am [determined] to do whatever it takes to regain the best possible shape, to continue competing for the things that really motivate me and the things that I have done during all these years.

"I am convinced that with the recovery of the foot and obviously a very important daily effort this can be achieved. I will work as hard as I can to make it happen."

Nadal sustained the injury at the French Open in June, where he lost to Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals and it meant he was unable to compete at Wimbledon or at the Olympics in Tokyo.

Defending champion Dominic Thiem and five-time winner Roger Federer have also pulled out of this year's US Open, which runs from August 30th to September 12th.

It opens the door for world number one Novak Djokovic to win a 21st Grand Slam title and move one ahead of Federer and Nadal.