14-time champion Rafael Nadal has announced his withdrawal from the French Open due to injury. This marks the first time he will miss the tournament since he made his debut in 2005. Nadal, who suffered a hip injury during his second-round defeat in the Australian Open earlier this year, revealed that his recovery process is taking longer than anticipated. The 36-year-old also confirmed that he will be away from the court for the next "few months" and is likely to miss Wimbledon as well.
In a press conference at his Rafa Nadal Academy in Manacor, Spain, the "King of Clay" stated that his ambition is to enjoy his last year on the professional tour, which will be next year. "My idea and my motivation is to try to enjoy and try to say goodbye to all the tournaments that have been important for me in my tennis career during [next] year, and just try to enjoy that, being competitive and enjoying being on the court, something that today is not possible," he said.
Despite his disappointment at missing this year's French Open, Nadal expressed his intention to return for the Davis Cup Finals in September. Nadal's record at the French Open is undoubtedly one of the most dominant in all of sport, having lost just three times since his victorious debut appearance in 2005. He suffered one of the biggest upsets in tennis history in 2009 after losing in the round of 16 to Robin Söderling, before being beaten by Novak Djokovic in 2015 and 2021. He withdrew ahead of his third-round match against compatriot Marcel Granollers in 2016 due to a wrist injury.
Nadal has not played since the Australian Open and dropped out of the world's top 10 for the first time since 2005 in March. The tennis world has expressed their support for Nadal, with Roland Garros writing on Twitter, "Rafa, we can't imagine how hard this decision was. We'll definitely miss you at this year's Roland-Garros. Take care of yourself to come back stronger on courts. Hoping to see you next year in Paris."