By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Thursday April 4, 2024
Monte-Carlo will be a no go for 11-time champion Rafael Nadal.
The Spaniard announced his withdrawal from next week's Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters event on social media on Thursday, with the following statement:
“These are very difficult moments for me, sporting wise. Unfortunately I have to tell you that I am not going to be playing in Monte Carlo.
“My body simply won’t allow me. And even if I am working hard and making the maximum effort every day with all the will to play and compete again at tournaments that have been very important for me, the truth is that I can’t play today. You have no idea how hard this is for me to not be able to play these events.”
Off the tour since suffering a microtear to a muscle (around where he had his left hip flexor surgically repaired) in Brisbane in January, Nadal has been practicing regularly and even made an appearance in Las Vegas in early March, at the Netflix Slam, an exhibition with Carlos Alcaraz.
Since then Nadal has pulled out of Indian Wells, and now Monte-Carlo.
He’s hoping to get his body right to compete for a 15th Roland-Garros in May.
The 14-time champion pulled out of last year’s draw – he has played just seven matches on tour since the start of the 2023 season.