Nadal to skip Paris Masters

Paris, Oct 25: French Open winner Rafael Nadal will be missing the Paris Masters 2014, the French Tennis Federation announced here.

"Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the BNP Paribas Masters 2014 due to personal reasons," said the statement Friday, reports Xinhua. "The Spaniards place in the main draw will be taken by his countryman Pablo Andujar."

As the last stop of the 2014 ATP World Tour Masters series, the Paris event is slated for Oct 27-Nov 2 at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, with a total prize money of 2,884,675 euros. The winner of the men's singles collects 571,355 euros and 1,000 points.

Nadal, currently world No. 3, is now playing the Swiss Indoor Basel, an ATP World Tour 500 tournament. After two rounds play, the 28-year-old has made the quarterfinals. His withdraw from the Paris Masters also puts in doubt his participation in November's ATP World Tour Finals.

Having taken 14 Grand Slam titles in his career, Nadal, however, never won either Paris Masters or the Finals.

Croatia's Marin Cilic, US Open champion, also pulled out of the Paris Masters due to a right arm injury, and so did Latvia's Ernests Gulbis, who has a sore right shoulder.

They are being replaced by 2012 finalist Jerzy Janowicz of Poland and Canada's Vasek Pospisil, according to the organisers.