Rafael Nadal won't defend French Open crown at Roland-Garros in 2023 due to injury, aims to play one more year
The 14-time French Open champ announced he will miss the clay major - a first since 2004. The Spaniard has not competed since January, when a hip injury impacted his movement at the Australian Open.
Tennis
Rafael Nadal is out of Roland-Garros.
The reigning and 14-time French Open champion - often called "the King of Clay" - made his withdrawal official at a press conference on Thursday (18 May), citing his physical health, and saying it was 'impossible' for him to have recovered in time for the tournament, which begins on Sunday 28 May.
He added that the 2024 season was likely to be his last as a professional tennis player.
"I am not able to play at Roland-Garros," Nadal told reporters at a press conference at his academy in Spain. "I was even working every day, as much as possible, but it's been difficult months. But we have not been able to find the solution from the problem that I had in Australia. Today I do not feel myself at the standards I need myself to play at Roland-Garros."
The tennis superstar has not competed since January, when he visibly played through a hip injury in a second-round loss to Mackenzie McDonald at the Australian Open.
It marks the first time Nadal has missed the men's singles event since his winning debut in 2005, though in 2016 he pulled out after the second round due to a wrist injury.
But Nadal plans several months away from the practice court, saying he'd like to get healthy for 2024, which he says is "probably going to be my last year on the professional tour."
"I need to stop for a while," he said of his current physical condition. "My position is to stop and I don't know when I'm able to... maybe two months, three months... four months, I don't know. I'm not the guy who likes to predict the future. I'm just following my feelings. I'm doing the right thing for my body. My goal and my ambition is to stop and give myself the chance to [enjoy it] again."
“Next year will be very complicated," he continued. "I’m a reasonable person and I know what is my situation and how complicated it will be to fight and win a Grand Slam. But at the same time, I’m a positive person and my intention is to be back and compete at the maximal level and try to win the tournaments. I’m gonna fight for it, but the reality is that I will have to wait.”
Rafael Nadal: Parisian dominance halted - for now
Nadal has won the Parisian title 14 out of the last 18 years, a mark unmatched in professional tennis. He defeated training partner Casper Ruud in last year's final after dogged wins over Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic in the semi- and quarter-finals, respectively.
The Spaniard is 112-3 at Roland-Garros overall, having lost to Robin Soderling in the fourth round in 2009; and Djokovic twice - in the 2015 quarters and 2021 semis.
He is the 2005-08, 2011-14 and 2017-22 champion.
The 22-time grand slam singles champion has also won two Olympic gold medals for Spain (Beijing 2008 men's singles, Rio 2016 men's doubles).
Nadal has been hampered by various injuries over the last year, having played just 13 matches in 12 months after withdrawing from the Wimbledon semi-finals vs. Nick Kyrgios with an abdominal strain.
Will Rafael Nadal play Paris 2024?
Could the Olympic Summer Games Paris 2024 be the perfect send-off for Nadal? The tennis event is set to be held at Roland-Garros, the home of the French Open.
"I can’t say now this," Nadal reasoned. "Is difficult to me to precdict how is going to be my situation, how my body is going to be. I don’t want to say one thing and do the other. Is better to hold the options open and see whats the best calendar possible."
He added: "Of course Olympic Games is one of the competitions I’d love to be there."
Nadal said he'd like to finish his career on the court - not in front of reporters: “I do not deserve to end my career like this, he said, adding: "I think that I have done enough effort during my sports career to end it in a different way, not in a press conference.”
The Spaniard has two Olympic medals to his name, having won the singles gold at Beijing 2008 and capturing doubles alongside close friend Marc Lopez at Rio 2016. He missed London 2012 due to a knee injury and Tokyo 2020 citing scheduling issues.
In Rio, he fell to Nishikori Kei in the bronze medal match, placing fourth.