Rafa Nadal's Hip Injury Will Cause Him To Miss His First French Open Since 2004 - Announces 2024 Will Be His Final Season
Clive Brunskill. Getty Images.Just days leading up to the 2023 French Open Rafa Nadal called a press conference for today at his academy to announce some stuff. Considering the Spaniard hasn't played a match in months this was not going to be bring any good news whatsoever. Turns out Rafa is indeed pulling out of Roland Garros for the first time since 2004. Fucking bummer.
The soon to be 37 year old is not what he once was. This hip injury has given him hell trying to get back to playable shape. It just wasn't possible this time around and he's decided to take several more months off to try and get right.
The only good news here is that he's not retiring. I kinda got scared that was gonna happen when they said his family was in attendance for this presser. Not the case. He did, however, talk about 2024 being it.
All I want is for Rafa to play the 2024 French and call it a career there. We were denied a proper sendoff for Federer and had to settle for the Lavar Cup doubles for Nadal. While that was nice and extremely emotional, it woulda been fitting for it all to end at Wimbledon.
Watching Nadal play and battle over the last two decades has been nothing short of a treat. He's one of the greatest competitors the sports world has ever seen. His 112-3 record at the French might be the most impressive stat in all of sports. Beating that man on the Roland Garros clay could very well be the hardest thing to do on the planet. Hopefully we get to see it one more time next year before he rides off into the sunset.
As for the current French, it's WIDE open. Novak Djokovic is struggling with form and health in that elbow right now. Carlos Alcaraz is an absolute force, but he just lost to a guy outside the top 100. Might be for the best since he had just recently won back to back 1000s prior to Rome, but he still was beaten in stunning fashion. Holger Rune looks poised for a deep run. Medvedev is all of a sudden kicking ass on clay. Tsitsipas will be there, although I'll never trust him in a big match. Zverev is capable of a deep run on this surface. It's all there for anyone who wants it. Just sucks the King of Clay won't be there to defend his thrown. Athletes getting old sucks.
