Rafael Nadal underwent arthroscopic surgery on his injured left hip flexor on Friday night, forcing him to miss the French Open for the first time since winning the first of his record 14 titles there in 2005.
Benito Perez-Barbadillo, Nadal’s spokesman, said three doctors were engaged in the treatment, which was taking place in Barcelona. Perez-Barbadillo said he planned to be ready to share details about the operation on Saturday, Nadal’s 37th birthday.
The Spaniard has been out since January after injuring his hip in a second-round loss at the Australian Open.
The 14-time French Open champion Nadal had competed at Roland Garros every year since debuting and winning his maiden title in Paris in 2005. The Spaniard admitted that it was impossible for him to be ready for the tournament, which begins on May 22.
While Nadal has stated that 2024 will be his final season, he has also stated that he expects to compete in all of the competitions that have been significant to him, including the Olympics. He went on to say that he needed to pause his profession to “try and regenerate” his physique.
The 22-time Grand Slam singles champion had refused to put a deadline on his career, but hoped to return by the end of the 2023 season and compete in the Davis Cup. He also stated that he wishes to participate in the 2024 tour.
After being ruled out of events in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, and Barcelona earlier this season, he skipped claycourt tournaments in Madrid and Rome to improve his health.
Nadal dropped out of the top ten in the world rankings in March for the first time since 2005, and is now ranked 15th.