Nadal withdraws from Monte-Carlo: 'You have no idea how hard this is'

Rafael Nadal announced on social media Thursday his withdrawal from the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.

“Hi all, these are very difficult moments for me, sporting wise,” Nadal wrote. “Unfortunately I have to tell you that I am not going to be playing in Monte-Carlo. My body simply won’t allow me. And even if I am working hard & 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. 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.”

Hi all, these are very difficult moments for me, sporting wise. Unfortunately I have to tell you that I am not going to be playing in Monte Carlo. My body simply won’t allow me. pic.twitter.com/BEi0UUe1au

— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) April 4, 2024

Nadal returned to action at the beginning of the year in Brisbane, where he defeated Dominic Thiem and Jason Kubler before losing in the quarter-finals to Jordan Thompson. The former No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings ramped up and was in California preparing to compete at Indian Wells, but withdrew before the tournament.

The lefty, an 11-time Monte-Carlo champion, ended his post with a message to his fans. He wrote: “Thanks again to all, as always, for all the support and best wishes!”