"The three-time tournament champion has withdrawn from the 2023 edition due to injury," wrote the Californian tournament on Twitter.
The former world No.1 today No.8 had estimated his absence at six to eight weeks the day after his elimination in the second round of the Australian Open in mid-January.
The cause: an injury to the iliopsoas muscle of the left leg.
Beyond this injury, the 36-year-old Mallorcan, now overtaken by Novak Djokovic in the number of Grand Slam titles (22), has had a series of physical problems since his fourteenth coronation at Roland-Garros in the spring of 2022. An abdominal tear, in particular the forced to give up playing his semi-final at Wimbledon.
From his elimination in the round of 16 of the US Open in September to the start of the 2023 season, Nadal then had a series of six defeats in seven matches, in Paris, at the Masters and in the United Cup.
His only victory came from a game without stake in the group stage of the Masters, against the Norwegian Casper Ruud.
The Spaniard with 22 Grand Slam titles, who was seen training on clay at his academy in Mallorca on Monday according to the Spanish press, is probably aiming for a return to competition in Monte-Carlo in early April, on his darling surface, if her body allows it.
Nadal reached the final in Indian Wells a year ago.
He lost there, already physically diminished then, against the American Taylor Fritz.
His absence in 2023 could cost him his place in the top 10.
He won in the Californian desert in 2007, 2009 and 2013.
© 2023 AFP