Nadal Withdraws from Roland Garros, Believes 2024 Will Be Farewell Season

Rafael Nadal is out of Roland Garros–and believes he will close the curtain on his brilliant career after the 2024 season.

The 14-time French Open champion announced today his chronic hip injury has forced him out of this month’s Roland Garros and will cause him to take time off to try to recover.

“First thing, I will not be able to play in Roland Garros,” Nadal told the media at a press conference staged at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca. “As you know, I was working as much as possible every single day for the last four months. It has been very difficult months because we were not able to find the solution to the problem that I had in Australia.

“So, today, still in a position that I am not able to feel myself ready to compete at the standards that I need to play at Roland Garros.”

The former world No. 1’s withdrawal from Roland Garros, which starts on May 28th, marks the end of an era.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion has played Roland Garros every year since his 2005 debut when he made a rousing run to his maiden major championship defeating Mariano Puerta in the final.

Nadal owns an astounding 112-3 career Roland Garros record and has captured the French Open crown in five of the last six years.

The 36-year-old Spanish superstar has been sidelined with a left hip flexor injury since he suffered an Australian Open second-round loss to American Mackenzie McDonald on January 17th.

Nadal said he will take time off to try to recover and hopes to play a full schedule in 2024, which he believes will be his farewell season to the pro circuit.

“I need to stop,” Nadal said. “I need to stop for a while, so my decision is to stop. I don’t know when I gonna be able to come back to the practice court, but I am gonna stop for a while, maybe two months, maybe one month and a half, maybe three months, maybe four months. I don’t know. I am not the guy who likes to predict a lot the future so I’m just following my personal feelings.

“I am just following what I really believe is the right thing to do, for my body and for my personal happiness.”

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Though Nadal says ultimately it comes down to his hip health, he said he is determined to “enjoy next year” which he believes will be his final pro season.

“I don’t want to put myself in a position to say one thing and then do another thing, but my goal or my ambition is to try to stop, to give myself an opportunity to enjoy next year, which is probably gonna be my last year on the professional tour,” Nadal said.