Nadal calls time on 2014, to skip tournaments in Paris and London

Rafael Nadal of Spain at the Swiss Indoors ATP tennis tournament in Basel. Photograph: Arnd Wiegmann/Reuters

Rafael Nadal, after having suffered a 6-2, 7-6 (7-4) loss in the quarter-finals of the Swiss Indoors to teenager Borna Coric, has shut down his season to undergo appendix surgery.

The nine-time French Open champion and 14-time Grand Slam title winner confirmed he will have his appendix removed on November 3.

Given the circumstances the 28-year-old Spaniard said there was no logic in him competing at either next week's Paris Masters or the eight-man World Tour Finals in London from November 9.

"This is the day to say goodbye for the season," said Nadal.

"It's the day to say I had a good first six months this year. But it was hard after that with back and (three-month summer) wrist problems and now the appendix. I'm not going to play Paris or London, I'm not competitive enough to do that.

"I need to do the surgery, I need to work on my back next week before the operation. Then I need five weeks to recover."

Spain's Rafael Nadal reacts during his match against Borna Coric of Croatia at the Swiss Indoors ATP tennis tournament in Basel. Photograph: Arnd Wiegmann/Reuters

Nadal, who had been taking antibiotics to treat appendicitis since the Chinese swing of the tour earlier this month, said his goal is to have a month of training in December when his physical problems are mended.

"If I play the last two tournaments, I would not be competitive and would have no chance to win. It is better for me to recover. I hope to be back at the start of 2015 ready for anything."

Nadal had already announced earlier Friday that he was skipping next week's Paris Masters for "personal reasons."

"If Nadal does not come, it would be with a heavy heart. I think he will have surgery," said Paris Masters tournament director Guy Forget.

Spain's Rafael Nadal at the Swiss Indoors in Basel. Photograph: Arnd Wiegmann/Reuters

Nadal had secured one of the eight places in the World Tour Finals and his withdrawal now leaves four more spots to be filled with Novak Djokovic, Federer, Stanislas Wawrinka and Marin Cilic already guaranteed their places.

"It was tough the whole match, the whole tournament," admitted Nadal. "Every day I felt more tired. I tried to train and get fit -- it was not possible.
"It's difficult to play and compete when you are not able to train for weeks in a row and when you are not ready to compete well and not in good shape physically.

"I was not competitive. I'm not the player who tries to be in the quarters -- I try to win the tournaments."

Meanwhile, Coric lost to David Goffin, seeded seventh, in the semi-final.