Rafael Nadal Might Not Participate In French Open As He Withdraws From Barcelona

Rafael Nadal might not participate in this year’s French Open as he has announced his withdrawal from the ATP tournament in Barcelona which was expected to be an opportunity for him to prepare for the tournament in Paris.

The fans of Rafael Nadal were anticipating his return to the tennis court this weekend in Barcelona a week after he missed the Monte Carlo Open. Unfortunately, he announced via his Twitter page that he would not be able to participate in the tournament making it the second successive ATP tournament that the 36-year-old tennis star has missed this year.

Naija News recalls that Rafael Nadal struggled with a hip flexor injury during the 2023 Australian Open in January. After the tournament, he went under the radar as he continued to push for a full recovery.

On Friday, he confirmed via a tweet that he missed the Monte Carlo Masters and will miss the ATP tournament in Barcelona this weekend because he is yet to fully recover from the injury.

“I am still not ready and so I continue my preparation process for the return to competition,” he tweeted.

“Barcelona is a special tournament for me because it is my club by adoption and because playing at home is always a unique feeling.”

This announcement has sparked the fear that the 22-time Grand Slam singles champion might not be match ready for the French Open which is one of the biggest grand slams of the year. The grand slam which is expected to start on May 28 ought to be his record 15th French Open in his illustrious career.

Due to his incessant absence from major tournaments, the Spanish Tennis icon has dropped from the ATP top ten ranking to the 15th spot currently.