Paris, 4 November 2011 | AFP

World No.2 Rafael Nadal said on Thursday he will not be playing in the Paris Masters next week.

With the ATP World Tour Finals season-ender in London and also the Davis Cup final coming up, Nadal said on his Facebook page he would be skipping Paris with regret.

“Hi all. I won’t be playing this upcoming week the tournament in Paris Bercy. It’s been a difficult decision to take but I understand that it is what I need to do right now to prepare well for the end of this season and also for 2012,” said Nadal.

“I hope I can be back in 2012 to that great event in the most beautiful city in the world, and hopefully try to win it one day.”

Nadal was a 2007 finalist but skipped Bercy last year.

The Spaniard has not played since losing to the 23rd-ranked Florian Mayer in the second round in Shanghai three weeks ago.

Nadal is one of five players already qualified for the season-ending November 20-27 tournament in London, which features the year’s top eight players.

The French Open champion is also expected to play for Spain against Argentina in the December 2-4 Davis Cup final.