Is Rafael Nadal playing the French Open in 2023

Rafael Nadal is the defending champion at the 2023 French Open but will he be in a position to compete at the Grand Slam in May remains a question.

Is Rafael Nadal playing the French Open in 2023

Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal‘s love affair with injuries and his delayed return to competitive tennis always has the world guessing. The latest in the Rafa saga is the 36-year-old Spanish legend putting out a statement on Twitter he is going to miss the Monte Carlo Masters, beginning from 9th April. From the hard courts of the United States of America — Indian Wells and Miami — the tennis caravan rolls into the European clay season.

The hype has been on true blue clay court specialists, where the name of World No.14 Rafael Nadal figures on top. In one fell swoop, Nadal has fans guessing even more, nay, biting nails, in nervousness, over his future. There is no need for a doomsday prophecy, really, yet as the long gap between Nadal and tennis fans gets more intriguing. Winner of 22 Grand Slam titles and King of Clay, Nadal’s absence from competitive tennis courts has been dragging on.

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He got injured in January at the Australian Open. At that time, the hip injury was serious and MRI reports said he would be out for a long time. In March, however, Nadal put out an image of him practicing on clay and working his butt off. Clay beckoned Nadal. Monte Carlo would have been the ideal setting for his return, or so fans thought. Clearly, Nadal is not ready. And if he is himself saying it, he is not 100 percent sure how his body can handle the load.

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For someone who has been part of the tennis circuit for over 25 years, overall, this long absence leads to more questions. Nadal fans are worried, they are craving to see him. The champion who churned out winners in 2022 and won two Majors — Australian Open and the French Open — seems in trouble. But then, do not ever write him off. Nadal has flirted with injuries for a very long number of years.

Related: Rafael Nadal’s French Open hopes in jeopardy as he SHOCKS fans by pulling out of Monte Carlo

Arriving at French Open after battling injuries is not new for Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal

If you track Rafael Nadal‘s record, he plays, then goes out, and again comes back. It has been a pattern. Just that with each passing year, fitness is becoming a major issue. In youth, Nadal could come back faster. Right now, it is a dilemma. He does not know which body region is going to next bother him. From toe to ribs and then hip, his whole anatomy has been subjected to injuries, followed by scans to check out damage!

Tennis is not a sport where you can pull on minus a 100 percent fit. Yes, Novak Djokovic did it in January 2023 in Melbourne and won the AO. His miraculous handling of the hamstring injury and continuing to smash big serves and groundies was a delight. To expect Rafa to do that will be wrong. The left-hander knows his body needs to be preserved and he can put on the grinding act only when he is 100 percent fit.

He does not need to worry about rankings and so on. He has been there, done that, stayed in the Top 10, and dominated tennis. If he is to return to the French Open, his own hunting ground in Paris, then he will want to be fit as a fiddle. Maybe, that is a strategy, play just one warm-up event before the French Open and give it a shot. Given his experience on clay, Nadal will be a force to reckon with. Despite all the issues, he can still handle plenty of wannabe champions.

His cunning and game are still not done and dusted. Yes, there is a serious concern because the delay in returning to tournaments poses many questions. Each day will be important from here on. Nadal knows best how much his heart aches to be back in the twilight zone and win matches. For someone who has never given up, the fight to be fit is a challenge as well as a desire for Nadal.

Winning Majors has been his forte and for Nadal to give up is unthinkable. He will love the gossip and speculation. After all, tennis loyalties are crazy, where Nadal and Djokovic are today like two heavyweight boxers in different corners of the ring. No, Nadal will not throw in the towel so easily. He may be missing the Monte Carlo Masters but the real agenda will be prepping for the French Open. Agree?

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