The French Open has a unique build-up compared to other Grand Slams. Even the best players need time to adapt to the slow and slippery clay surface after playing on hard courts for three months of the year. This year, from April onwards, the ATP Tour scheduled seven 250 events, one 500 event, and three Masters 1000 events.
The Pertinent Question
In January, the conversation about the clay Major began when Rafael Nadal, the defending Australian Open champion, sustained a hip injury and lost to USA’s Mackenzie “Mackie” McDonald in the second round. The question on everyone’s mind: would he make it to Paris, the city where he has won the French Open an unprecedented 14 times?
Nadal, who turns 37 next month, has had bad luck with injuries in Australia multiple times in the past, but unlike previous years, his return to the court kept getting delayed this time due to hip flexor problems. Eventually, last Thursday, he said that he would not be able to play at Roland-Garros due to his injury.
Nadal had missed his French Open debut twice in the past, but since his spectacular performance as a teenager in 2005, he has been a constant presence at Roland-Garros with his phenomenal record extending year-by-year. This time, however, the men’s field has only two former champions, Novak Djokovic (2016, 2021) and Stan Wawrinka (2015). Carlos Alcaraz, the top seed, was only two years old when Nadal first won in Paris, and other players like Stefanos Tsitsipas, Holger Rune, and Casper Ruud will fancy their chances.
Nadal, however, expects the tournament to be “a big success”. “Roland-Garros will always be Roland-Garros with or without me… there will be a new champion.”
Nadal’s Body Finally Says ‘No’
When Nadal first burst onto the scene, critics questioned if his playing style was sustainable in the long run. Nadal’s willingness to “suffer” and show no mercy on himself to keep a rally going with his astounding court coverage was evident from the beginning of his career. While he did defy his critics and extend his career to the wrong side of 30s, the hip injury might be the final straw. “You can’t keep demanding more and more from your body because there comes a moment when your body raises a white flag,” he said.
Since Nadal’s Grand Slam debut at Wimbledon in 2003, he has missed 13 Majors, with this year’s French Open and Wimbledon being the latest additions to the list. The list may get longer, as Nadal has no plans to play in the coming months.
‘Big Three’ Era To End Soon?
Only eight months ago, Nadal and fellow 22-time Major winner Djokovic had played alongside Roger Federer at the Laver Cup in the Swiss maestro’s final professional appearance on a tennis court. With Nadal ruling himself out of probably the rest of the 2023 season, this marks another significant point in the ‘Big Three’ era. Djokovic, too, turns 36 on Monday (May 22) and has recently faced issues with his elbow. He played the entire 2023 Australian Open with a three-centimetre tear in his hamstring.
2024, The Year Nadal Says Goodbye?
Nadal, who became a father last year, hopes to recover in time for the 2024 season and play all those tournaments that have made him “happy”. He wishes to retire on his own terms and end his career with dignity. Nadal’s comebacks in tennis after long injury layoffs are not easy, and he knows it. He experienced it many times in the past. However, if he comes back next year, there will be the overwhelming emotion of playing every event for the last time. Whether he will be able to focus on the task at hand and winning another Slam remains to be seen.
The year 2024 also brings with it an opportunity for Nadal to play at Roland-Garros twice in a few months, as the tennis event of the Paris Olympics is scheduled to take place there post the French Open. Nadal, who has previously clinched gold medals in men’s singles at Beijing Olympics (2008) and men’s doubles at the Rio Games (2016), said, “The Paris Olympics is one of the competitions I want to be at. I don’t know if that will be my last tournament.”
Battles with injuries off the court have run parallel with Nadal’s duels on court. Now the question is, can Nadal overcome his injuries one last time?