Rafael Nadal withdraws from French Open: 'Paris will cry for loss of its king' - Fans at Italian Open react to news
The king is dead… long live the king? The phrase is metaphoric and dramatic in many ways but the news that men’s tennis’ greatest ever clay-court player, Rafael Nadal, will NOT feature at this year’s Roland-Garros has sent melancholic shockwaves across the tennis world and opened the door for a rare, different name to hold aloft La Coupe des Mousquetaires in 2023. Ad The reigning champion and 14-time winner’s announcement at a press conference held at his Academy in Mallorca on Thursday afternoon is hugely significant on so many levels.