In a certain disappointment to millions of tennis fans around the world, reigning Wimbledon champion Rafael Nadal won't be defending his title because of tendinitis in his knees.

Nadal
AP Photo/pa)

Rafael Nadal grimaces during a match against Stanislas Wawrinka at the BNP Paribas Fortis Tennis Classic at the Hurlingham Club in London, Friday June 19, 2009.

It will be only the second time in 35 years that a Wimbledon champion won't defend his title.

For Nadal, the world's number one player, 2009 is turning out to be, as Queen Elizabeth II might say, his annus horribilis. The Spaniard stunned the tennis world by losing in the fourth round of the French Open to Robin Soderling, ending Nadal's four-year run as the open's champion.

 

An excerpt from the Associated Press:

His announcement came about 2 1/2 hours after he lost to Stanislas Wawrinka in an exhibition match on grass at the Hurlingham Club in south London.

"Today was the last test," Nadal said. "I didn't feel terrible but not close to my best."

He also lost an exhibition there Thursday against 2002 Wimbledon champion Lleyton Hewitt — and, coincidentally, Friday's draw for this year's tournament had set those two up for a second-round meeting.

Nadal looked ragged during his straight-set loss against Hewitt on Thursday. But the Spaniard appeared in better condition against Wawrinka, several times racing toward the net for sharp volleys or scurrying along the baseline for winning groundstrokes on the run.

Still, Nadal said he just did not sense that he could win Wimbledon — and so he did not want to compete at all.

"When I start a tournament like Wimbledon, it is to try to win, and my feeling right now is I'm not ready to play to win," the six-time major champion said.