Rafael Nadal Having fully recovered from a hip injury sustained at the Australian Open in January, he will miss next week’s Italian Open, throwing further doubt over his participation in the French Open.
Nadal, 14-time Roland Garros champion, abandoned the ongoing Madrid Open And has also missed tournaments in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo and Barcelona.
“I am very sad to announce that I will not be able to stay in Rome,” the 36-year-old Spaniard said in a statement on social media.
“You all know how much it hurts to miss one of the tournaments that marked my professional and personal career thanks to the love and support of the Italian tifosi.
“Despite seeing improvements in recent times, it has been several months without training at a high level and the re-adaptation process has taken its own time and I have no choice but to accept them and continue working.”
Nadal has competed at Roland Garros every year since winning his men’s record 22 major titles in Paris in 2005. The French Open starts on 28 May.
