Rafael Nadal’s preparation for a bid to extend his record to a 15th French Open title suffered another setback when he announced on Friday that he would withdraw from the ATP Barcelona tournament. The 36‑year‑old Spaniard said he has not yet regained full fitness after the hip‑flexor injury he sustained at the Australian Open in January, an ailment that also forced him to miss this week’s Monte Carlo Open. “I am still not ready and so I continue my preparation process for the return to competition,” he wrote on Twitter.
The Barcelona event begins on Saturday, while the French Open is scheduled to start on May 28. Nadal expressed disappointment at missing Barcelona, calling it “a special tournament for me because it is my club by adoption and because playing at home is always a unique feeling.” The 22‑time Grand Slam singles champion, who shares the record for most titles with Novak Djokovic, had initially expected to be sidelined for up to two months. He already withdrew from the hard‑court events at Indian Wells and Miami, aiming to return at the start of the clay‑court season.
His fitness issues have become increasingly problematic since he captured his 14th French Open crown last year. During that tournament he eased to victory over Casper Ruud while his left foot was anesthetized to manage pain from Müller‑Weiss syndrome, a condition diagnosed when he was 18. He later withdrew from the Wimbledon semi‑final because of an abdominal injury. This prolonged absence has seen Nadal fall out of the top 10 for the first time since April 2005; he is currently ranked 15th.
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