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The 2023 French Open gets underway at Roland Garros in Paris on Sunday without defending champion Rafael Nadal and with two-time winner Novak Djokovic struggling with form and fitness.
Roger Federer says he will “miss” seeing Rafael Nadal play at the French Open and that his record there is “one of the most incredible in the history of all sports”. Nadal, 36, has not recovered from injury in time to defend his title in Paris. Ad He is a 14-time champion at the Grand Slam and since making his first appearance there in 2005 has a remarkable 112-3 win-loss record.
Rarely has a player missing a Grand Slam felt like it will leave such a hole in the tournament as it will when Rafael Nadal is absent from the upcoming French Open. Nadal first played the French Open in 2005, winning on his debut as a 19-year-old. He has played the tournament every year since, winning every time except three.
When Rafael Nadal announced on Thursday that injury would prevent him taking part in this year's French Open for the first time in 19 years, it triggered bitter sweet memories for Lars Burgsmuller, his first ever opponent at Roland Garros. Back in 2005, when Nadal's remarkable 14 titles on the Parisian clay were still in the future, the German faced the Mallorca native in the first round. Burgsmuller, then aged 29 and the world number 96, lost 6-1, 7-6, 6-1, but pushed 18-year-old Nadal to a tiebreak in the second set.
Rafael Nadal on Thursday withdrew from the French Open and announced that 2024 will likely be his last season in tennis after a career which has brought him 22 Grand Slam titles.
When a weary David Ferrer managed to win just five games in his French Open semi-final loss to Rafael Nadal in 2012, he was in no doubt over the enormity of the challenge. "Winning a match against Rafa at Roland Garros is almost impossible," admitted a bamboozled Ferrer as he trudged off Court Philippe Chatrier. It would have been no consolation to the gritty Ferrer that at least he won one more game than Roger Federer managed in the 2008 final in Paris.
Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from this year's French Open, saying it has proved «impossible» for him to get himself fit to defend his title at Roland Garros. The 22-time Grand Slam winner will take several months away from the game, but has refused to put a definite time limit on how long he will be away from the court. Ad Nadal has also said next year will «probably» be his last on tour.
Rafael Nadal said he will likely retire from professional tennis in 2024, plus he will miss Roland Garros this year for the first time in 19 years with a left hip flexor injury that has sidelined him from competition since January’s Australian Open.