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Rafael Nadal withdrew from one of his most successful tournaments, the French Open, and announced Thursday that he has not yet recovered from a lingering hip injury he sustained earlier this year.
The 36-year-old tennis pro also announced that the 2024 season would likely be his final on the ATP Tour.
Rafael Nadal celebrates victory in their round one singles match against Jack Draper during day one of the 2023 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Jan. 16, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Andy Cheung/Getty Images)
The announcement was made during a press conference at his tennis academy in Spain on Thursday.
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Nadal did not offer a timetable for his return but said he could miss anywhere between a month or four months, suggesting that he may not return in time for Wimbledon in July.
"I’m not going to be able to play at Roland Garros. I was working as much as possible every single day for the last four months – [they] have been very difficult months because we were not able to find the solution to the problem that I had in Australia."
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Nadal has won the French Open a record 14 times and holds a career record of 112-3 across 18 appearances at the French Open. He became the oldest champion in tournament history when he won last year at 36.
Rafael Nadal lifts the trophy after winning the final match against Casper Ruud in three sets, 6-3, 6-3, 6-0, at the French Open tennis tournament in Roland Garros stadium in Paris on Sunday, June 5, 2022. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
"I need to stop, I need to stop for a while," Nadal continued. "I don’t know when I’m going to be able to come back to the practice court. But I’m going to stop for a while, maybe two months, maybe one month and a half, maybe three months, maybe four months – I don’t know."
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Nadal said the goal of this break is to allow his body to heal in time for next season, which he said is "probably going to be my last year on the professional tour."
Rafael Nadal acknowledges the spectators after the men's singles 2nd round match against Mackenzie McDonald at Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, on Jan. 18, 2023. (Bai Xuefei/Xinhua via Getty Images)
Nadal last played in the second round of the Australian Open on Jan. 18 when he lost to Mackie McDonald. He suffered a hip injury that sidelined the former World No. 1 for several months, prompting him to miss the start of the clay court season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.