The Spanish tennis player revealed on Wednesday that, “with great sadness,” he will retire from the 2024 BNP Paribas Open before the first round.
Nadal defeated Carlos Alcaraz in The Netflix Slam on Sunday, but told X on Wednesday that he was not prepared for the California competition.
He was due to face Milos Raonic at the Paribas Open on Thursday night.
“I have been working hard and practicing and you all know I took a test this weekend but I don’t find myself ready to play at the highest level at such an important event,” Nadal said in a statement. “It’s not an easy decision, in truth, but I can’t lie to myself or the thousands of fans.
Nadal injured his hip flexor at the Australian Open in January, and he had surgery on it in June.
He has been mostly off the court since, missing this year’s Australian Open in January after hurting a muscle in his surgically repaired hip during a quarterfinal match at the Brisbane International.
He subsequently missed the Qatar Open in February, claiming he was focused on getting healthy and preparing for the Paribas Open.
With Nadal’s tennis career in jeopardy, it is unknown whether he will return to the court this year.
Last May, he stated that 2024 would most likely be the end of his career.
