Rafael Nadal misses the French Open - and indicates the end of his career in the coming year
Rafael Nadal will not defend his title at the French Open. The Spaniard also announced that 2024 would "probably" be his last year on the tour.
by Nikolaus Fink
last edit: May 18, 2023, 04:19 pm
Rafael Nadal will not defend his title at the French Open in Paris. The 22-time Grand Slam winner announced this in a press conference on Thursday. Exactly how long he will be out is unclear. "There is no return date. I'll try when I feel ready," said Nadal.
In addition, Nadal indicated the end of his career in the coming year. He will "probably" end his career in 2024, according to the Spaniard.
Nadal injured his hip flexor at the Australian Open and hasn't competed in a tournament since. As the 36-year-old announced at the beginning of May, he had noticed "an improvement", but he needed more time to return to the match court. Nadal now wants to take this.
The beneficiary of Nadal's French Open cancellation is Dominic Thiem, who saves himself from qualifying and is directly in the main draw. The Austrian has already been in the final twice in Roland Garros and had to admit defeat to Nadal in each case. Overall, the Iberian won the tournament at the Bois de Boulogne 14 times.
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