Rafael Nadal, who is the defending US Open champion and the second-ranked tennis player in the world, has withdrawn from the upcoming US Open due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Nadal, the 34-year-old Spaniard, will temporarily put his quest on pause to surpass Roger Federer for the grandest slams of all time (Currently trails Federer by 1).

On Tuesday, Nadal sent out a series of tweets, here, here, and here, explaining his decision to skip out on the upcoming major. Nadal sent the same sets of tweets out in Spanish, which is his first language and is the language spoken by many of his fans.

Nadal will not be the only player absent from this year's Open, however. Ash Barty, who is currently ranked as the world's best female tennis player, announced earlier this week that she would not be making the trip to New York at the end of the month. Along with Barty, Roger Federer has elected not to play; not because of COVID concerns, but rather recovery from two knee operations.

It is also worth noting that even though Novak Djokovic, who is the men's current world number one, tested positive for the coronavirus earlier in the summer, his intentions to play in this year's US Open are prevalent and full.

What is usually known as a summer-end slam that is filled with the world's best talents to go along with extraordinary atmospheres, may look different this year due to a thin field, no fans and anxious guidelines.