2024 likely to be his last year in professional tennis, says Rafael Nadal

22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal said on Thursday, May 18 that the 2024 season would be his last in professional tennis, hinting at retirement. The 36-year-old announced his plans during a press conference he held in Mallorca where he confirmed his withdrawal from French Open.

Nadal will miss the French Open, a tournament that he has not missed since winning the title in 2005 when he made his debut at the clay-court Grand Slam. Nadal has gone on to win 14 French Open titles, the most by a singles player at a particular Grand Slam.

Nadal, speaking to the press on Thursday, said he is looking at taking a call to bring the curtains down on his professional career next year due to his recent series of injuries. A hip injury he picked up at the Australian Open in January has forced him to withdraw from French Open for the first time in



close to 2 decades.

"The real situation is I was not able to enjoy my daily work.. since after the pandemic, I was not able to enjoy the practice and competition because there were too many problems and too many stoppages for physical reasons. I need to stop for a while and my decision is to stop. I don't know when I will be able to come back to the practice court.. maybe 2 months, maybe 4 months.

"I am just doing what I think is the right thing to do for my body and my personal happiness. My goal and my ambition is to stop and give myself an opportunity next year when it could be a last year," Nadal said.

Nadal said he would want to say proper farewells to the tournaments he loves and added he wants to be competitive.

"I really believe if I go today I will not be able to make that happen," he said.