Rafael Nadal has announced his retirement from tennis. He will not play any tournaments, not even Roland Garros in 2023. Nadal gave a presser on the 18th of May at Rafael Nadal Academy where he explained in detail how his hip injury, which he’s been suffering since late 2022, hasn’t healed. He is now ruled out of action for the rest of 2023. It’s the first time that the city of Paris will not see its favorite player competing on the red court for his favorite trophy.
Since the Australian Open in 2023, Nadal had not played professionally. His hip injury flared up in January. He has been dubbed the King Of Clay. This year he withdrew one clay tournament after another in the hope that he would recover for the next event. He announced today that he will not be playing at the French Open in 2023. This news was eagerly anticipated by his fans, rivals and even him. Many are heartbroken by this.
Nadal was one of the most popular tennis players of the 2000s. Only Novak Djokovic has won more Grand Slams in the open-era. He has won 14 Roland Garros titles. He also has 2 Olympic gold medals, one in singles and the other in doubles. He has won 103 ATP title.
Although he has already withdrawn from the 2023 race, he would still like to return in 2023 if his situation improves. The brighter side of this conference is that he’ll be back in 2024. It is the player’s 13th withdrawal from a Major event.
