The 2023 French Open lost one of its biggest draws on Thursday when the 14-time men's singles champion Rafael Nadal pulled out of the tournament in Paris due to injury and also outlined his plan for a year-long grand farewell to a circuit that has brought him fame, fortune and giddy legions of fans.
The 36-year-old has not played competitively since succumbing to a hip injury during a second round loss at the Australian Open.
Speculation has been mounting in recent weeks over whether he would return for the French Open – nicknamed Roland Garros.
"The evolution of the injury I sustained in Australia has not gone as I would have liked," said Nadal during a press conference at his tennis academy in Manacor.
"I have lost goals along the way and Roland Garros becomes impossible."
Nadal won a record-extending 14th men's singles title in Paris last June when he beat Casper Ruud in straight sets in the final.
"At this moment, I won't be able to be at Roland Garros," added the Spaniard. "With what that tournament is for me, you can imagine how difficult it is.
"Today I'm still in a position that I am not able to feel myself ready to compete at the standards that I need to be at to play a Roland Garros.
"I am not the guy that is going to be at Roland Garros and just try to be there and put myself in a position that I don't like to be in."
Doubts
Questions over Nadal's participation in the second Grand Slam event of the season increased when the veteran announced that he would miss the Madrid Masters tournament which started at the end of April.
"Initially it had to be a six- to eight-week recovery period and we are now on 14," said Nadal on social media in April. "The reality is that the situation is not what we would have expected."
That setback came after he skipped the tournaments in Monte Carlo and Barcelona where he has claimed 11 and 12 titles respectively.
Nadal said he would take time off to recover and hoped to return to make 2024 his last year playing competitive tennis.
"I am not the guy who likes to predict a lot the future, so I'm just following my my personal feelings and just following what I really believe is the right thing to do for for my body and for my personal happiness now,” he added.
“I can't say 100 per cent that 2024 is going to be the last year because you never know what can happen.
Aim
"But my idea and my motivation is to try to enjoy and try to say goodbye to all the tournaments that have been important for me in my tennis career next year and just try to enjoy being competitive and enjoying being on court.
“That is something that today is not possible. I really believe that if I keep going now, I will not be able to make that happen.
"I don't know if I stop if I will be able to make that happen but I think the chances are much higher if I stop."
The French Open starts on 28 May at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris. Carlos Alcaraz will be the men's top seed.
Iga Swiatek, who won a second French Open crown in 2022, heads the women's seedings.
However, the 21-year-old said on Thursday she will know in the coming days the severity of the thigh injury that forced her to withdraw in the final set of her Italian Open quarter-final clash against Elena Rybakina.
"We're checking it," tweeted the Pole, who also won the French Open in 2020.
Hi Guys. I'm sure you're thinking about what happened last night. We're checking it. During the second set I got a thigh injury. The diagnostic is in progress. More info in the following days. Will keep you updated.
— Iga Świątek (@iga_swiatek) May 18, 2023
"More in the following days," she added. "Will keep you updated."
