Rafael Nadal signals 2024 will be his last year as a tennis player
The French Open's greatest champion Rafael Nadal is out of the tournament – and probably the rest of the season – after failing to recover from the hip injury he sustained in January.
With nine days to go before the tournament starts, on May 28, this news – which Nadal announced at a press conference at his tennis academy in Mallorca – was sad but hardly unexpected.
What will alarm tennis fans more is that Nadal now intends to take a lengthy break – not only from competing but from training as well. His intention is to play a farewell tour in 2024, body allowing, before calling it a day at the end of the year.
As the 14-time French Open champion explained, "I worked as much as possible every single day for the last four months [but] they have been very difficult months because we were not able to find the solution to the problem that I had in Australia.
"So today I am still in the position that I am not able to feel myself ready to compete at the standards that I need to be to play at Roland Garros. I am not a guy who will play at Roland Garros and just try to be there and be in a position that I don't like to be."
As for his wider plans, he explained that he has not been able to train effectively, or put in the necessary practice hours, since the pandemic.
"It was too many problems, too many times having to stop for physical issues, too many days of coming here practising but with too much pain," said Nadal, who nevertheless won both the Australian Open and the French Open last year in what was his best-ever start to a tennis season. "My position is to stop."
He added that he has no idea how long this lay-off will last, although he offered six weeks and four months as possible alternatives. In theory, he said, he would like to play the Paris Olympics next year. But he understands that any such objectives are contingent on how his body reacts.
"My goal and my ambition is to try to stop and give myself an opportunity to enjoy next year," Nadal concluded, "which will probably be my last year on the professional tour. I don't know if I will be able to make that happen but I think the chances are much higher if I stop now."
Nadal announces 2024 will be his last, as it happened
04:05 PM
Nadal on taking a step back from training
I’m going to stop. I’m not going to train. I’m unable to continue training. There’s been many months of frustration and I’ve been quite tolerant with everything and remained positive, but there comes a point when you realise you have to put everything on hold. I need to stop because if I don’t I don’t think I will make it to next year.
The idea is to stop and try to see if my body begins healing over the next few months by stopping my training load altogether. Then, when I feel ready, we will return and will manage things as best we can.
03:57 PM
Nadal on accepting his fate
You have to accept the way things are. You can be angry, you can be sad.. It is what it is, but from now on you have to look towards the future. I’ve got other good things going for me in my day to day life.
I don’t want to be a drama queen, quite the opposite, I want to be thankful for all the good things that have happened to me. I can’t keep demanding more and more from my body because there will be a time when my body says ‘That’s enough.’
If I didn’t have any intentions to continue playing, it would be another story. But because I want to come back, after what has happened, I would like to return knowing that I have options to start from scratch. It will be a hard process and will require a lot of effort.
03:52 PM
Nadal on trying to win Grand Slams in 2024
If I do, I don’t know, it will be difficult. It’s obvious that having had a setback as big a this since January, I’m realistic. I’m aware of how difficult it would be to try and win more. But, why not? I’m also a positive person.
I want to give myself the opportunity to compete again. 2024 might be my last year but after that nobody knows what might happen. I’ll try to do my best to compete at the highest level and do everything in my power so that next year I can try and win tournaments.
03:46 PM
Nadal on reaching the decision that he won’t play in Paris
I’m not happy that I’m not going to Paris, but it’s something that has been going on week after week. Things haven’t been going the way they should have to play in the tournaments that I’ve wanted to play in.
We’ve done a lot of work without stopping to try and give us the best possible chance week after week to see if the injury would improve, but the fact of the matter is it hasn't improved and I’m not at the level where I need to be at.
03:45 PM
More from Nadal
It might be a goal to try and play in the Davis Cup at the end of the year if I’m feeling good and also the captain considers me good enough.
My hope is that I’ll return when I feel ready physically and I suppose, mentally.
03:41 PM
The repercussions of Nadal's decision
Nadal is set to drop outside the world’s top 100 with his time away. And may need wildcards to enter tour events.
He will have a protected ranking that he can use when he returns.
If Nadal says he wants to come to a tournament, I don't think his request will be rejected.
03:38 PM
Nadal on his enjoyment levels dipping since the pandemic
I’ve not been able to enjoy my daily training. I’m not going to go to the practice courts for a while, so I’m going to stop, maybe for one month, two, three or four. I don’t know.
03:32 PM
Reaction from the French Open
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 🧡 pic.twitter.com/lTN3GExBFo— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 18, 2023
03:31 PM
Nadal aiming to play at the Davis Cup
I’m going to try and come back by the end of the year - that might be a goal.
Next year I imagine will be my last. This would be my objective, to try and finish and make next year the final one of my career, at least with the hope of being able to enjoy it. I want to give myself the opportunity for that to happen, and that’s why I’m here today.
03:27 PM
Nadal is speaking at his tennis academy
03:26 PM
Nadal on why he is taking a break
I’ve got to draw a line and that’s what I’m doing now. Over the next few months I’m going to strengthen my physical state and recuperate.
I need to put my career on hold and I’m going to try and regenerate my body. I’m not going to set a deadline - that’s going to be when I will feel ready physically.
03:24 PM
Nadal on 2024
2024 is probably going to be my last year on the professional Tour.
My motivation is to try and enjoy and say goodbye to all the tournaments that have been important to me.
03:22 PM
Nadal is asked if he will play at Paris Olympics 2024
I would like to play the things that are important to me and I hope to be at the Olympics.
03:20 PM
Nadal speaks at a packed press conference
03:17 PM
Nadal - 2024 Farewell Tour
More to come but Nadal strongly hints next year will be his final season as a tennis player.
03:13 PM
Nadal out of Wimbledon
Nadal's comment mean we will also miss Wimbledon which begins on July 3.
03:12 PM
More from Nadal
I need to stop for a while. Don't know I will be able to practise. I don't like to predict the future.
03:11 PM
Nadal speaks
Not able to play Roland Garros. Working as much as possible. We were not able to find a solution.
Not ready to compete at French Open.
03:09 PM
Nadal withdraws
Nadal is sitting at the front in a white shirt and jeans. He's smiling a lot and seems content with his decision.
03:07 PM
BREAKING: Nadal to miss French Open
Nadal confirms he will not play at Roland Garros saying it was impossible to be ready.
Thank you for being here. We’re here today for various reasons. The first is that the hip injury that I picked up in Australia has not improved how I would have liked. We’ve been working really hard every day to try and make it better and towards certain goals, but ultimately I won’t be able to play at Roland Garros.
After many years playing there, you can imagine how much of a difficult decision it’s been for me. This isn’t a decision I’ve made, it’s a decision my body has made. I’m not going to be playing for the next few months.
03:05 PM
Classic Rafa
Nadal was late but has just arrived.
02:58 PM
Nadal joined by family
Seeing reports that Nadal's family are in the room awaiting the speech from the 22-time major winner.
More than 4,000 people are watching the live stream on YouTube.
02:53 PM
The greatest player in French Open history
02:47 PM
Not long to go now...
The stage set for #Nadal press conference is ready and the media is arriving at RNA. pic.twitter.com/kldqpHeEWy
— Pau Ferragut Massanet (@PauFerragut) May 18, 2023
02:39 PM
Will Nadal be at Roland Garros?
Hello and welcome to coverage of a major press conference in tennis as Rafael Nadal reveals whether he will compete at the upcoming French Open.
Nadal is an injury doubt after his slower-than-expected recovery from a hip injury sustained during January's Australian Open.
The Spaniard has missed the entire clay court season so far and the expectation is that he will confirm he won't play in Paris.
But could he also announce something else? A withdrawal from Wimbledon? Retirement? We shall see.
Nadal's powers of recovery are legendary so it would be a massive shock if he decided to walk away from the sport. The press conference will take place at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Manacor, Mallorca at 3pm.
"If he plays [the French Open] or not and the reasons either way will only be communicated tomorrow," a statement from the player's representatives read.
Nadal's last comments about his injury came when he announced his decision to pull out of the Italian Open.
Nadal said: "Despite having noticed an improvement in recent days, there have been many months without having been able to train at a high level and the re-adaptation process has its time, and I have no choice but to accept it and continue working."
The 36-year-old hasn’t played anywhere since he lost to Mackie McDonald on January 18, his movement clearly restricted by a bothersome left hip flexor.
An MRI exam the next day revealed the extent of the injury, and his agent Benito Perez-Barbadillo said at the time that Nadal was expected to need up to two months to fully recover. He initially aimed to return at the Monte Carlo Masters in March on his beloved red clay, but he wasn’t able to play there, then subsequently sat out tournament after tournament, decreasing the likelihood that he would be fully fit in time for the French Open.
