Rafael Nadal announced on Thursday that he will withdraw from the French Open because lingering hip injury It has sidelined him since January, and he expects 2024 to be his final professional season.

owner Record 14 championships He will miss the event for the first time since making his clay-court Grand Slam debut in 2005.

Nadal, who turns 37 next month, announced his retirement and plans for the future at a news conference at his tennis academy in Manacor, Spain. He said he did not want to set a date for his return to the tennis tour, but expected it to be several months away.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion then added: “You never know how things are going to play out, but my intention is that next year will be my last year.”

The competition will start on May 28 at Roland Garros in Paris. Nadal has a career record of 112-3 in 18 matches at the Roland Garros, a level of dominance more than any man or woman at any Grand Slam tournament in the sport’s long history Nothing compares to that dating back to the 1800’s. Nadal won the trophy last year at age 36 due to chronic foot pain, making him the oldest winner in tournament history.

Nadal’s birthday is June 3, and he might normally play his third round match at Court Philippe Chatrier. Instead, he will sit out the game, as he has for most of the season.

The Spaniard has not played since a second-round loss to McGee McDonald at the Australian Open on January 18, when his movement was apparently limited by a troublesome left hip flexor. It was Nadal’s earliest Grand Slam exit since 2016.

An MRI the next day revealed the extent of the injury, and his manager said at the time that Nadal expected to take up to two months to fully recover. His initial aim was to return to his beloved clay at the Monte Carlo Masters in March, but his inability to play there, followed by game after game, has diminished his chances of being fully fit in France Open.