Rafael Nadal, the 22-time Grand Slam champion, has cast doubt on his participation in next month’s French Open due to lingering pain from an ongoing injury. The 37-year-old Nadal, who returned to competition in January after a lengthy absence due to a hip flexor injury, admitted that he is far from being in top form. He is only playing in the Madrid Open as a personal sacrifice.
“If I was in today, I wouldn’t go out to play,” Nadal said in reference to Roland Garros. “I don’t think I’ll be able to play at 100% but it’s important to be able to play for the last time in Madrid, it means a lot to me to play on this court where I’ve had some great moments.”
Nadal, who has stated his intention to retire after the 2024 season, returned to competition in Brisbane in January but lost in the quarterfinals. He returned to winning ways in Barcelona last week but suffered a second round defeat to Australian fourth seed Alex de Minaur.
Nadal emphasized that he is a competitive person and finds it difficult to play without being able to give his best. He expressed dissatisfaction with his performance in Barcelona and recognized that he needs to be feeling capable enough to compete well if he is to participate in the French Open.
“We’ll see what happens, but the world doesn’t end if I don’t play at Roland Garros. I also have the Olympic Games ahead of me,” Nadal concluded.
