Rafael Nadal pulls out of Monte-Carlo with less than two months to French Open

Rafael Nadal has confirmed on social media that he will not play in the Monte Carlo Masters competition.

The former world number one has not competed in an ATP Tour tournament since his comeback to the court in January in Brisbane. Nadal returned earlier this year with lots of promise, and his performances in Australia raised questions about whether the 37-year-old could compete for trophies.

However, injuries have continued to be a serious concern for Nadal. After withdrawing from the Australian Open, Qatar Open, and Indian Wells, the 22-time Grand Slam champion has now confirmed that he will be unable to compete in the Monte Carlo Masters next week. Nadal’s comeback has not gone as planned after an 11-month sabbatical, and missing the start of the clay season is yet another setback that he must overcome if he is to prove that he is still one of the greatest in the game.

“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,” said the 37-year-old Spaniard, who has won the tournament a record 11 times. “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.” “The only thing I can do is to accept the situation and try to look at the immediate future keeping the excitement and will to play in order to give me a chance for things to get better.”

Nadal had a hip injury at last year’s Australian Open, forcing him to sit out the rest of the season. He returned to Brisbane International this year, but lost to Jordan Thompson in the quarterfinals. He hasn’t played a Tour-level match since then. He did, however, compete against Carlos Alcaraz in an exhibition bout in Las Vegas last month. Former World No. 1 Rafael Nadal has dropped to 649 in the current ATP rankings.

The reoccurring troubles will be a major obstacle to Nadal’s season plans, putting his goal of winning the French Open – which he has won 14 times – in peril. He has six weeks to get himself in peak condition for the Grand Slam, and a great performance could allow him to compete in the Paris Olympics at Roland Garros.