Has Rafael Nadal competed in his last French Open before retirement?
Rafael Nadal could miss the French Open this year in what could be his final season on the tennis circuit, the Spaniard has revealed.
Nadal has said previously that 2024 would be his last year on the ATP Tour and at the majors, with many expecting the 22-time Grand Slam champion to bow out after the Olympics, 16 years on from his gold medal at the Beijing Games in 2008.
“If I arrive in Paris the way I feel today, I will not play,” he said.
“I will play Roland Garros if I feel competitive. If I can play, I play. If I can’t play, I can’t.
“It won’t be the end of the world or the end of my career. I still have goals after Roland Garros, like the Olympics.”
The 14-time French Open champion is currently competing on the ATP Tour in Madrid, where today he will take on 16-year-old American wild card Darwin Blanch.
Blanch became the second youngest player to earn himself an ATP ranking point in 2022 at the age of 14 and last month made his ATP Tour debut in Miami.
Elsewhere Brit duo Emma Raducanu and Harriet Dart were on the end of defeats in their opening round ties in Spain.