BREAK POINT

Rafael Nadal Pulls Out of French Open and Announces Retirement Plans

“It’s not a decision I made, it’s a decision my body made.”

Rafael Nadal on Thursday announced that he would not take part in the French Open for the first time in 19 years when the tournament begins later this month. The 36-year-old—who has won the French Open a record 14 times—said he’d been struggling with a hip injury sustained a few months ago. “It’s not a decision I made, it’s a decision my body made,” Nadal told reporters in Mallorca. “I need to stop for a while,” he added, saying that his hiatus could be “two months, maybe three or four months.” Nadal also said that while he hopes to play in Paris next year, he expects the 2024 season to be his last. “Next year will be my last year on tour—that is my idea,” he said. “If I keep going now I won’t be able to make that happen.”