Rafael Nadal withdraws from French Open due to injury

Rafael Nadal has signaled that the end of his career is in sight, as he plans to retire after the 2024 season. He also confirmed that he will miss the French Open due to an injury. This will be the first time Nadal misses the tournament since he debuted in 2005.

The nearly 37-year-old has been trying to recover from a hip injury sustained during the second-round Australian Open defeat to Mackenzie McDonald in January. The Spanish legend initially said he hoped to be fit again within six to eight weeks. But he told the media that this has not materialised:

I didn’t make the decision, my body made the decision. To play Roland Garros is impossible…Next year will be my last year on tour – that is my idea. If I keep going now I won’t be able to make that happen

Nadal explained he was unable to train properly for months since the injury, and he did not wish to make up the numbers at Roland Garros.

The French Open starts on May 28, in Paris, and runs until 11 June. This will be the first time he misses Ronald Garros since 2004. However, Nadal intends to make a comeback for the Davis Cup Finals which starts in September.

The 14-time champion told the media that he needs to stop playing ‘for the foreseeable future’ in order to fully recover and return in peak condition for the farewell season in 2024:

I will stop for a while, maybe one month, maybe three months or maybe four months. I do not like to predict the future…I will do the right thing for my body and personal happiness. My motivation is to enjoy the season and say goodbye to all the tournaments I have enjoyed in my career.

This will cause Nadal to drop out of the top 100 without playing in the summer’s majors. However, he will enjoy a protected ranking. Plus, no tournament will turn down the chance to see the 22-time Grand Slam champion back in action, should he ask.