Rafael Nadal withdraws from Monte-Carlo Masters 2024 as injury struggles continue: "You have no idea how hard this is for me"

Rafael Nadal's comeback on tour has been pushed back once again, as the Spaniard announced his unfortunate withdrawal from the 2024 Monte-Carlo Masters on Thursday.

Nadal has played only one tournament all season, in what could be his final year as a tennis professional. After sustaining an injury at the Brisbane International to start the year, the 22-time Grand Slam champion pulled out of the Australian Open.

He was expected to be back for the Middle East Swing and the Sunshine Double, he withdrew each time, stating that he was not fully fit to be comepetitive at the top level. With the clay season having just started, his return was even more eagerly anticipated, starting with Monte-Carlo, a tournament he has won 11 times.

However, the Mallorcan broke the hearts of fans once again, taking to social media to proclaim that his body doesn't allow him to compete yet.

"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," Nadal tweeted.

Nadal turned even more emotional, writing that it was tough for him to even describe how hard it was for him to skip these events. At the same time, he admitted that the truth of the matter is that he cannot play despite his best intentions.

"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," he added.

The 37-year-old's 11th and most recent title at Monte-Carlo came in 2018, where he beat Kei Nishikori in the final. His last appearance was in 2021, meaning he has now missed the last three editions.

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"The only thing I can do is to accept the situation" - Rafael Nadal

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Rafael Nadal only played two competitions in 2023, suffering an abdomen injury at the Australian Open.

He took the rest of the year off recovering before making his comeback in Brisbane to kick off 2024. In the meantime, he also hinted that 2024 could be his final year on the ATP Tour, even though he has since maintained that it's not 100% confirmed as of yet.

Despite this latest setback ahead of the Monte-Carlo Masters, Nadal continues to remain upbeat, saying that he will accept the situation and keep his excitement for the future intact, hoping that things get better soon.

"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," Nadal added on social media.

With Monte-Carlo out of the equation, the next possible site for the former World No. 1's return will be the ATP 500 Barcelona Open, where he's a 12-time champion.