Spanish maestro Rafael Nadal has declared that he will skip the upcoming French Open due to the hip flexor injury that has kept him on the sidelines ever since crashing out of the second round of the Australian Open earlier this year. The 36-year-old has said that he will take some more time to keep his body fit for the 2024 season, which is likely to be the last one of his professional career.
“That’s my idea, I can’t say that 100 percent it’s going to be like this because you never know what is going to happen, but my motivation is to try to enjoy and to try to say goodbye to all the tournaments that have been important to me in my tennis career,” Nadal said.
His medical team had approximated a recovery period of six-eight weeks to recover from his hip injury. However, Nadal has been unable to recuperate in time to return to the Grand Slam that has been defined by his name for the last couple of decades.
“I was working as much as possible every single day for the last four months and they have been very difficult months. I am still in the position where I am not able to feel ready to compete at the standards I need to be to play at Roland Garros,” Nadal added.
Nadal will be missing the French Open since the first time he won the same during his debut in the tournament in 2005. He has won the Grand Slam a whopping 14 times at Roland Garros and hence the all-time tennis great explained that he is not the guy who would be going there to put himself in a situation that he doesn’t like to be in.
Nadal has battled multiple injuries in the last couple of years, including an abdominal tear, a broken rib and also a minor surgery and radioactive treatment for his chronic foot problem.
