Rafael Nadal, the five-time world men’s tennis champion, has announced that he will not play at the upcoming Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters tournament due to a muscle injury sustained at the Australian Open in January.  

The 37-year-old tennis star has had a spate of injuries that have forced him to withdraw from tournaments over the past few years, the latest of which being the 2024 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.  

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Nadal’s frustration was palpable in his social media post on X: “These are difficult times for me sportingly speaking. Unfortunately, I inform you that I am not going to play in Monte-Carlo. My body just won’t let me… And 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.” 

His indomitable spirit was evident in the post, as was his disappointment, with the legendary player sharing, “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. Thanks again to all, as always, for all the support and best wishes!” 

A perennial crowd-favourite, Nadal has won the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters tournament a stunning 11 times.  

The Monte-Carlo Masters, now in its 117th year, will take place at the Monte-Carlo Country Club from 6th to 14th April. 

Read related:

Tennis: the 2024 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters line-up is revealed

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Photo source: Rafael Nadal, X