Holder Rafael Nadal will miss the French Open after failing to be fully fit from a hip injury sustained at the Australian Open in January, the 14-time Roland Garros winner said on Thursday, adding 2024 could be the final year of his career .
“I will be 100% ready for next year, which I think will be the last year of my professional career,” Nadal told reporters at a news conference.
“I won’t set a date for my comeback. I’ll see how my body reacts and take it from there…if I can be back by the end of the year for Davis Cup.
Nadal, who has dominated the claycourt season over the years, has competed at Roland Garros every year since claiming the first of his men’s record 22 major titles in Paris in 2005.
“If I keep playing at the moment, I don’t think I can be there next year… I want to say goodbye to the people who have supported me in order to be able to play the tournament.
“The injury I had in Australia didn’t develop the way I wanted it to. I’ve lost targets along the way and Roland Garros has become impossible.
“At this point in time, I will not be able to be at Roland Garros. What a tournament that is for me, you can imagine how difficult it is.”
The French Open starts on 28 May.
(Reporting by Srivatsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Fernando Calles and Ritika Sharma; Editing by Ken Ferris)
Disclaimer: This report is generated automatically from Reuters news service. ThePrint is not responsible for its content.