Rafael Nadal will have to wait one more year in his quest for his 15th French Open trophy. The Spanish tennis legend announced on Thursday that he would be forced to miss the upcoming French Open due to a hip flexor injury.
Nadal also announced that 2024 would “probably” be the last year of his professional tennis career.
Nadal, who will turn 37 in June, originally injured his hip in January during the australian open, falling to upset Mackenzie McDonald in the second round. In Thursday's news conference, Nadal said his hip injury had not yet healed, and he had no plans to compete in the next few months. He did not set a time frame for his return, but said he hoped to be well enough to compete in the Davis Cup in September.
Roland Garros is Nadal's playground and has been since winning his first trophy there in 2006. She has won 14 in total, which is an astonishing number and a testament to her excellence on clay. He has previously played through acute pain, even winning the 2022 French Open with a partially anesthetized foot. The French Open without him is an early preview of our Rafa-less future. The last time Nadal did not play at Roland Garros was in 2004, when he was just 17 years old. He has played in all 18 French Opens since then.