Rafael Nadal Withdraws From French Open, 2024 Likely Final Season
The “King of Clay” will not be around to defend his French Open crown in 2023.
ESPN.com reports that Rafael Nadal, who has won a record 14 titles at Roland-Garros, and 22 majors overall, has withdrawn from this year’s tournament due to an ongoing hip injury.
This will be the first time Nadal has missed his signature event since 2005.
The 36-year-old also announced during a news conference at his tennis academy in Manacor, Spain, that 2024 will likely be his final season.
Nadal did not provide a return date for the tour as he expects to take months to recover fully.
“I am going to stop, I am not going to train. I am not ready to train,” said Nadal. “These have been many months with many moments of frustration, and I can handle frustration, but there comes a time when you have to stop. … You can’t keep demanding more and more from your body because there comes a moment when your body raises a white flag. Even though your head wants to keep going, your body says this is as far as it goes.”
The 2023 French Open begins Monday, May 22, and runs through Sunday, June 11.
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