Ball – Nadal confirms that he misses Roland Garros, will “several months off” and announces “timing” for the end of his career (tennis)

Rafael Nadal confirmed, Thursday, that he will miss Roland Garros, the second major tournament of the season later this month, but not only, saying that he will stop for several months to continue recovering from an open injury. From Australia, in January, which is not over yet.

Nadal, who turns 37 in June, will miss the tournament for the first time in his career and said 2024 will indeed be his last year on the tour. He’s not even training at this point.

«I don’t know, I’ll stop for two months, or four months, I don’t know. I don’t like guessing the future, I just follow my instincts for my body and my happiness. I will try to be in good shape so that I can enjoy next year, which should be the last in my career. I’m going to try to be okay by this time next year and be able to enjoy the clay court season. I have to stop, otherwise I won’t be able to make it to next year, ”he said at a press conference at his academy in Mallorca.

“The progression of the injury I sustained in Australia did not go as I had hoped. You’ve lost goals along the way and that’s why being at Roland Garros is impossible. I won’t be able to be there now – and with what this championship means to me, you can imagine how difficult it must be. He said, “I have no intention of playing in the coming months.”

Nadal was asked why he hasn’t stopped now and still aspires to come back in a matter of months: “What makes me do things like this is that I don’t like the word. I think I don’t deserve to end this way, I would like it not to end like this, at a press conference. When it comes “Non-compete time again, let it be my pleasure knowing that I did everything I could, that I didn’t let myself go. It’s always worth going the extra mile, and that’s always been my philosophy.”

“I have to put my career on hold. I’ll try to get my body back in the coming months, but I’m not going to set a date for a comeback. When I feel physically ready I’ll start again – maybe I can be in the Davis Cup at the end of the year. Who knows, maybe I will in the year Next, from playing many tournaments, I want to say goodbye to those that affected me. For now, I will do what I have not done in the past 20 years, and take advantage of the fact that I do not have schedules, ”he added.

The tennis player was also invited to imagine what a return might be like, having fallen down the pecking order: “If I need invitations, I suppose it won’t be a problem, I think I deserve it. Let’s do things as right as possible. I’ll stop, I won’t train.” “It’s been months of discouraging moments, but there is a moment to stop. If I don’t stop, I don’t think I can go back. Now is the time to try to stop, see if the body rejuvenates, and reduces the load completely.”

And if the body responds well, imagine going beyond 2024? “It’s hard to imagine the body responding in this way. I’m not deceived, so I don’t think there will be a change by magic and everything will be fine. So that there are no misunderstandings, I intend it to end in 2024. Anything is possible, but I believe it is It wouldn’t be possible.”