Ticked: Sports Events Summary Clip, May 17 (Sports5)
The end of Rafael Nadal's career is approaching by leaps and bounds. The Spaniard, who is struggling to recover from his hip injury, announced at a press conference on Thursday that he will not play at Roland Garros and that 2024 is expected to be his last as an active tennis player.
The Mallorca bull has said he is unlikely to return to the courts in the coming months, so he will likely miss the last two Grand Slams of the year - Wimbledon and the US Open. According to the 36-year-old Nadal, a possible return destination could be the Davis Cup final this November, and the rest until then is intended to allow him to enjoy 2024 and say goodbye to several tournaments and major stations.
At Roland Garros, it's a real drama, as it's the Grand Slam with which the 36-year-old Spaniard is so identified. Fourteen of the 14 Grand Slams in Nadal's illustrious career have come in the French capital, so the tournament that gets underway at the end of the month will see another winner. It is the first time Nadal has not participated in the tournament since 22, and as a result he will find himself outside the top 2004 of the world rankings for the first time since March 100.
The injury was overwhelming. Nadal (Photo by Getty Images, MARTIN KEEP)
A month ago, Nadal posted a video on social media, saying that "he is in a problematic situation that he did not expect." Those around Nadal hoped he would still play, but injury overwhelmed him and that would make compatriot Carlos Alcaraz one of the big favourites to win Roland Garros along with Novak Djokovic of course.
Nadal's last match so far was at the Australian Open in January, when he was surprised and eliminated in the second round by Mackenzie McDonald.
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- Rafael Nadal
- Roland Garros