Rafael Nadal will miss the French Open for the first time in 19 years after a hip injury sidelined the record 14-time men’s singles champion.
The 36-year-old Spaniard, who has won 22 major men’s titles, also said he plans to retire after the 2024 season.
“I didn’t make the decision, my body made the decision. Playing at Roland Garros is impossible,” he said.
“Next year will be my last year on tour – that’s my idea. If I continue now I won’t be able to do that.”
Nadal, who turns 37 next month, has not played since sustaining the problem at the Australian Open in January.
Nadal has been practicing in recent weeks, but is not fit enough to play a tournament in the run-up to Roland Garros.
The French Open starts in Paris on May 28 and runs until June 11.
“I’ve been working as hard as possible every single day for the last four months and it’s been difficult because I haven’t found a solution to my problem in Australia,” said the former world number one.
“I’m not in a position to be able to compete with the level of playing at Roland Garros.
“I’m not a guy who’s only at Roland Garros.”
Nadal said he will have to stop playing for the foreseeable future in order to fully recover and return to fitness to complete the 2024 bye season.
“I’m going to stop for a while, maybe a month, maybe three months or maybe four months. I don’t like to predict the future,” he said.
“I will do the right thing for my body and personal happiness. My motivation is to enjoy the season and say goodbye to all the tournaments I have enjoyed in my career.
“If I keep going now I can’t make that happen.”
Nadal injured his hip during a second-round loss to American Mackenzie MacDonald in Melbourne and was initially expected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks.
An MRI scan two days after the game showed a tear in his left psoas muscle.
Last month, Nadal announced that he will not be able to play in the Madrid Open because the injury is “still not well” and he is planning another course of treatment.
He then withdrew from this month’s Italian Open – another key clay-court tournament before the French Open – saying he had not yet trained at a high level.
On Thursday, he announced that he will miss Roland Garros for the first time in his career in a press conference at his academy in Mallorca.
Nadal won the French Open title in his first appearance there in 2005, winning another 13 times over the next 17 years.
No player has won as many singles titles at a major tournament as the Mallorcan left-hander at Roland Garros.
Known as the ‘King of Clay’, Nadal won 112 of his 115 matches at the French Open.
In a message to Nadal, the French Open said it “can’t imagine how difficult the decision will be” for the player.
“We will definitely miss you at Roland Garros this year,” it said in a statement. “Take care of yourself to come back stronger on the courts. Hope to see you next year in Paris.”
