Rafael Nadal withdraws from Monte Carlo: "My body simply won’t allow me"

Rafael Nadal’s return to the ATP Tour has been put off for at least another tournament week.

And it’s one that has meant so much to the 22-time major champion throughout his career.

On Thursday, Nadal shared that “my body simply won’t allow me” to play next week's Monte Carlo Masters event. The left-hander once posted a 46-match winning run at the 1000 stop, collecting 11 trophies along the way in building a 73-6 record.

“These are very difficult moments for me, sporting wise,” Nadal wrote on his social media accounts.

“Even if I am working hard and making the maximum effort every day with all the will to play and compete again at tournaments that have been very important for me, the truth is that I can’t play today. You have no idea how hard this is for me to not be able to play these events.”

The Spaniard hasn’t appeared in Monte Carlo since 2021, when he fell to Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinals.

In March, Nadal traveled to Las Vegas to join Carlos Alcaraz for an exhibition match. The 37-year-old then headed to Indian Wells, where he trained but ultimately determined he wasn’t fit to contest the BNP Paribas Open.

Nadal began his 2024 season by winning a pair of matches in Brisbane, before Jordan Thompson staved off three match points to win their quarterfinal. During that defeat, Nadal sustained an injury later revealed to be a “micro” muscle tear on his hip.

“The only thing I can do is to accept the situation and try to look at the immediate future keeping the excitement and will to play in order to give me a chance for things to get better,” declared Nadal.

The Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell directly follows Monte Carlo. Nadal, a 12-time title holder at the 500-level tournament, previously entered with his protected ranking of No. 9. Compatriot Alcaraz has hoisted that trophy the past two years.