Rafael Nadal withdraws from Rome Masters, French Open in doubt

Rafael Nadal withdraws from the Internazionali BNL d'Italia, first time in 18 years.

Rafael Nadal withdraws from Rome Masters, French Open in doubt

Rafael Nadal (image via Daily Express)

Well, this has certainly rocked the tennis World. If one has won an event ten times and has been taking part in it for the last 18 years despite a few niggles throughout their career, nonparticipation is not just a mere headline. The Rafael Nadal 2023 case proposes just that. He has officially pulled out of the 2023 Internazionali BNL d’Italia, also known as the Italian Open.

A ten-time champion in Rome, this will be the first time Nadal won’t participate in the event since 2004. If we put things in perspective, there is another way to look at this major announcement. The last time he didn’t play the Italian Open was when he didn’t have a single Grand Slam. Considering the fact that he now has 22 of them, it’s been a while since he last withdrew from the Rome event.

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The Nadal fan club and, for that matter, the entire tennis community will keep their fingers crossed for Nadal participation in Paris. However, pulling out of Rome means he will enter the Roland Garros without any warm-up clay event behind him. He would go to Paris without playing a professional game for 130 days.

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With just five match wins in the last ten months, Nadal’s chances at the French Open have come down to a miracle. Having said that, if there is one player on the tour who can pull off a miracle like this, it’s Nadal. The only thing on his agenda now is to have 200% of his attention towards the Paris mega event. Fans would want their favorite star to put up a show again at his ‘home away from home.’

Related: Will Rafael Nadal drop out of the Top 100 if he misses the 2023 French Open?

A Peek into Nadal’s Romanticism with Rome

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Rafael Nadal (image via ATP Tour)

Rafael Nadal has played on the trot at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia for 18 years. In those 18 years, he made it to 12 finals and ended up winning 10 of them. Completing a perfect 10 at any tournament on clay is not something new for the Spaniard. However, consistently taking part in an event for 18 years is. His success is never a doubting factor as he is one of the greatest to play on the dirt.

Despite being plagued by injuries throughout his successful career, Nadal somehow managed to participate in the Rome event. Completing the next step isn’t tough for the King of Clay, as participation in a clay event means he will win 9/10 times.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion has won 69 matches at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia. He holds a 90% win record, having lost only eight matches in 18 years. The last time he won the competition was in 2021 when he beat Novak Djokovic in a three-set thriller finale. Unfortunately, fans in Rome won’t see their idol compete. However, they will pray that he is fit for the big Clay prize in Paris.

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