Rafael Nadal's retirement plans are in tatters as he admits 'my body doesn't allow me to play'

Rafael Nadal admitted that these are “very difficult moments”; as he continues to prepare for his return to duty. Photo: Rafael Nadal X

Rafael Nadal should be waving goodbye to his fans at all the great tennis venues this year. Unfortunately, his battered 37-year-old body refuses to cooperate.

On Thursday, Nadal announced his withdrawal from next week's Rolex Masters in Monte Carlo – a tournament he won no less . than 11 times. This decision means that he only played one ATP tournament all season.

April and May will be Nadal's strongest months of the year. They form the basis of the European clay-court swing, which it dominated for the better part of two decades. Not surprisingly, his statement had a mournful tone.

“Hello everyone, these are very difficult times for me when it comes to sports,” Nadal wrote on the site X, formerly known as Twitter. “Unfortunately, I must inform you that I will not play in Monte Carlo. My body just won't let me.

“And even if I work hard & putting in my best every day with all the desire to play again and compete in tournaments that were very important to me, the truth is that I cannot play today. You have no idea how hard it is for me not to be able to play in these tournaments.

“The only thing I can do is accept the situation and try to look at the immediate future, keeping the excitement and will play to give me a chance to improve the situation.”

¡Hi, everyone! I had difficulties for my sporting lifestyle.
Desgraciadamente os comunico que no voy a jugar en Montecarlo. Simplemente mi cuerpo no me deja. pic.twitter.com/oibcC4pBXo

— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) April 4, 2024

Nadal has already said he expects this to be his last season on the circuit. However, so far during his entire rehabilitation he has little to show, with the exception of three matches at the Brisbane International tournament in January.

During the last of these matches, against local hero Jordan Thompson, Nadal was extended to three sets and suffered what he called a “microtear” of his thigh muscle. Injury kept him out of the Australian Open.

Nadal recently resurfaced for a Netflix-sponsored exhibition match against his own heir apparent, Carlos Alcaraz. During that knockout in Las Vegas a month ago, Nadal served without bite and moved without his usual explosiveness.

From the outside it looked like he had some kind of back problem, and indeed, he did. Nadal had barely arrived at Indian Wells before he withdrew from that tournament.

During a press conference last May, Nadal described his intention as “trying to say goodbye to all the tournaments that It was important for me to be competitive and have fun.”

He also told Spanish reporters: “I don't think I deserve to end like this. I've worked hard enough throughout my career to not end up at a press conference.”

But sports can be a cutthroat business. Sometimes it is not the player who decides how the curtain falls.