Rafael Nadal, fourteen times winner of the competition, retires

The announcement is not surprising, but shocks the world of tennis. The king of clay is downcast: Rafael Nadal will not defend his title at Roland-Garros, the first time since 2005.”I won’t be able to be at Roland Garros after so many years without missing this appointment. You can easily imagine how difficult it is for me“, announced the title holder of the France internationals in a press conference on Thursday 18 May.

The beginning of the end for Rafael Nadal?

The player, injured, has to give up his Grand Slam of the heart, at the Porte d’Auteuil, where it all began, four days after his 19th birthday, in 2005. The beginning of a long series of victories on the field of Philippe- Chatrier, 14 in all. The style changes, but the Spaniard is at ease on the French clay and the public is won over by him. Inevitably, eleven days before the first round, the fans are disappointed. 2023 will have been an almost empty year for Nadal, soon to be 37, who suffered a hip injury at the Australian Open in January. What if this is the end? This missed match could allow Novak Djokovic, his great rival, to become the greatest champion in history instead of him.