Nine-time champion Rafael Nadal has pulled out of the French Open with a left wrist injury.

The Spaniard had looked in prime form in his first two matches, losing just nine games against Sam Groth and Facundo Bagnis, but he revealed at a hastily-arranged press conference that he would not be able to continue.

A dejected-looking Nadal said he first felt pain during his quarter-final win over Joao Sousa in Madrid and the problem had continued to get worse.

He said: “I arrived here with a little bit of pain but it was something I was able to manage, but every day it was a little bit worse. We spent a lot of hours here working so hard to try to play.

“Yesterday I played with an injection, with anaesthetic, and I could play but yesterday night I started to feel more and more pain and this morning I felt I couldn’t move the wrist.

“I had a scan and the results are not positive. It’s not broken but if I keep playing it’s going to be broken the next couple of days.”