Spanish tennis player, Rafael Nadal has announced on Thursday that he has withdrawn from the French Open due to injury.
The decision from the 14-time champion means that he will miss the French Open for the first time since he made his debut in 2005.
He also said, “next year is my last year” in professional tennis as he said he hopes to be fit again within six to eight weeks.
On one of the supposed reasons for his decision, the Spaniard suffered a hip injury during his second-round Australian Open defeat to Mackenzie McDonald in January and initially
The 22-time grand slam champion in an update posted on social media on April 20 and then again on Thursday said his recovery process was taking longer than anticipated.
As Nadal decides to be away from the court for the next “few months” during recovery, the 36-year-old will also likely miss Wimbledon.
Nadal while speaking in a press conference at his Rafa Nadal Academy in Manacor, Spain, said, “My ambition is to try to stop to give myself an opportunity to enjoy next year, that’s probably going to be my last year on the professional tour,”
“That’s my idea, even then I can’t say 100% because you never know what can happen – 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 during [next] year, and just try to enjoy that, being competitive and enjoying being on the court, something that today is not possible.
“I really believe, 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 know the chances are much higher.”
Nadal who is regarded as the ‘King of Clay’ said he intended to return for the Davis Cup Finals, which get underway in September.
