World No 5 Nadal had been scheduled to team up with Argentina’s David Nalbandian in a second-round encounter against Argentine Horacio Zeballos and Oliver Marach of Austria. Former World No 1 Nadal only returned to the tour in Chile last week, where he lost in the final, after a seven-month injury absence.

“Nadal thought it was preferable to stay in his hotel and prepare for his singles match tomorrow,” a Brazil Open spokesman told AFP.