Injury-hit Rafael Nadal plans to be back at Wimbledon next year after several months of rest… with the tennis legend, 36, planning to retire in 2024 after a global farewell tour
- Rafael Nadal will miss the French Open and Wimbledon with a hip injury
- The Spaniard has been out of action since injury in Australia earlier this year
- He told a press conference that 2024 will be his final year on the tennis circuit
Rafael Nadal plans to be back at Wimbledon next year as part of a global farewell tour, but he will not be there this summer, nor at Roland Garros this month.
The Spanish legend confirmed that he will miss the French Open, and then followed up that expected announcement by revealing that he sees 2024 as his last as a professional.
A few weeks from his 37th birthday, Nadal was at his academy in Mallorca as he outlined his plans for one final circuit of a tour he has been travelling on for 20 years.
He has not been able to play since the Australian Open due to complications associated with a hip muscle injury, and hopes that several months of rest will allow him to get in shape for a final comeback.
‘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,’ he said. ‘That’s my idea, even then I can’t say 100 per cent because you never know what can happen.
Rafael Nadal has told a press conference that he expects 2024 to be his last year on the tour
Nadal is to miss the French Open and Wimbledon with a hip injury he suffered in Australia
The 14-time champion at Roland Garros pledged his desire to play the 2024 Olympics in Paris
‘But my motivation is to try to say goodbye to all the tournaments that have been important for me in my tennis career during next year. Being competitive and enjoying being on the court, something that today is not possible.’
While shying away from making any firm predictions, Nadal cited November’s Davis Cup finals week in Malaga as a potential date when he might next be seen on court. The immediate impact will be on Roland Garros, which he has won 14 times and where he has an astonishing 112-3 singles record.
Nadal has not missed Paris since 2004.
The Spaniard said that for the past year he has not been capable of training as much as he wanted, and that the whole process had been far from enjoyable.
His absence adds to this French Open being by far the least predictable for the men in many years, with Nadal’s young compatriot Carlos Alcaraz now the favourite.
Nadal must also be resigned to the fact that Novak Djokovic will, possibly in the next few months, draw ahead of him in the race for the most Grand Slam titles, with the pair tied on 22.
The 36-year-old plans to make the most of 2024 by returning to important tournaments
