Roland-Garros: Rafael Nadal announces his withdrawal, a first since 2005

He deserves “not to end (his) career like this”, by a press conference: Rafael Nadal announced Thursday his package for the Roland-Garros tournament, which he won 14 times, but assures that he wants to come back on the courses before his retirement, for a final season in 2024. Ten days before the start of the Parisian tournament, “Rafa” specified that he would be unavailable “the next few months”. His “objective could be to play the Davis Cup” in November, just to start “with guarantees”, “which could be the last year” of his career. There will therefore be no Nadal on the grass of Wimbledon, already orphaned by Roger Federer, nor on the hard of the US Open.

No retirement this year

“I believe that I did what was necessary in my career to deserve not to end it like this, in this press conference”, added “Rafa”, one of the three Magnificent, who with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic has been splashing tennis in his class for two decades. It was on his island of Mallorca, in his tennis academy, that the Spaniard had brought together the journalists via an invitation sent the day before to communicate his decision, which resounded like a thunderclap.

Since his first coronation on Parisian clay in 2005, two days after his 19th birthday, Nadal has never failed Porte d’Auteuil. He has accumulated more than 110 victories there and has only experienced three defeats (in 2009, 2015 and 2021), plus a withdrawal during the tournament (2016, because of his left wrist).

Roland-Garros hopes to see him again “next year”

A year ago, even an anesthetized left foot to contain the pain caused by the chronic pain he has suffered from since the age of 18 (Müller-Weiss syndrome) did not prevent him from triumphing there for the fourteenth times, and for the 22nd time in a Grand Slam – men’s record shared with Novak Djokovic since.

In the wake of his shock announcement, the organizers of Roland-Garros announced that they hoped to see their champion again next year: “We will definitely miss you at Roland-Garros this year. Take care of yourself to come back stronger on les courts. We hope to see you again next year in Paris”, they wrote on Twitter.

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

Inevitably, his absence from Paris was quick to rekindle speculation as to his imminent retirement as well. “I predict that next year will probably be the last year” of his career, he added Thursday, specifying that he would stop training for a few months. “I need to stop, because otherwise I don’t even know if I’ll make it to next year,” Nadal said.

Four months out due to injury

The Majorcan – who will be 37 in the middle of Roland-Garros on June 3 – has not appeared in competition for four months flat, the fault of a stubborn muscle injury to the left hip (iliopsoas muscle), umpteenth episode of a body martyred by wounds. His last match, a three-set loss in the second round of the Australian Open to American Mackenzie McDonald, in which he was injured, dates back to January 18.

Initially assessed at between six and eight weeks, his absence has only stretched since, like the list of his forced capitulations, from the American tour on hard (Indian Wells and Miami) to the European season on clay, from Monte-Carlo to Rome, via Barcelona and Madrid. And now Roland-Garros, his garden, where his steel statue sits enthroned.

Only one victory in 2023

The last time he spoke, a dozen days ago, to announce that he would not play in the Italian capital, Nadal had given rise to a glimmer of hope by evoking “an improvement observed in recent days “, without detailing it further. Until then, his 2023 record is starving: a single victory, and four matches played.

Although injuries have very often caught up with him throughout the more than twenty years of his exceptional career, they have given him almost no respite for a year, from his foot to his left hip, including two abdominal tears. ‘last summer. In nine months, he has only played thirteen matches (a Grand Slam title requires winning seven) and lost eight. In the standings, he has slipped, for the moment, to fourteenth place. If injuries leave him alone, the public at Porte d’Auteuil will be able to cheer him on one last time in 2024. And why not, dream of seeing him win the Coupe des Mousquetaires for the 15th time.