Rafael Nadal has announced on his official Facebook page that he won't be playing in Queens this year.

This was on the advice of his doctors, as he has had a busy clay court season so far which culminated in him winning the French Open for a record 10th time.

Nadal, now moving up to number two in the world, will surely target yet another Wimbledon title, but he recognises that in order for his body to be in prime condition, he must now take some rest in order to prevent future injury.

Nadal on his Facebook page said: "My body needs to rest if I am going to be ready to play Wimbledon, I am sad to make this decision because I love Queen's, I won the tournament in 2008 and every time I reached the Wimbledon final it was after playing Queen's."

Britain's Andy Murray, the world number one, will defend his title at the Aegon Championships, which will include four out of the top 10 players in the world.

The championship is due to start on June 19, and Wimbledon will start on July 3.

This will give Nadal the adequate time to rest and be in prime shape to compete at Wimbledon.

Nadal has a very good record at Wimbledon, he has won the title twice, in 2008 and 2010. He has also reached the final five times in his career.

Yet, the most recent being all the way back in 2011, so there is no doubt he will want to cash in on this purple patch he is having.

However, while Nadal is a master on the clay court, when it comes to grass, the field is much more competitive.

With so much talent now in the top 10 in the world, Nadal will have to be at his best to overcome some of his lifelong rivals. 

Not only will he have to deal with number one and home favourite Andy Murray, he may also have to beat Roger Federer, which he has yet to do so far this year.

You can read Nadal's statement below.

Which is why this move from Nadal is a perfectly understandable one, and looks like a good, strategic one if he is bidding to win back-to-back Grand Slams for the first time since 2010. Where he won the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US open all back to back.

Seven years ago, he won the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US open all back-to-back.