Page 11 - Robin Soderling News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

“It’s not a decision I’m taking, it’s a decision my body is taking,” says the 36-year-old Spanish player.

A look at the number of French Open titles Rafael Nadal has won in his career after his announcement he will not take part this year.

Rafael Nadal was born on the Spanish island of Mallorca, known for its sandy beaches, but the tennis star will be forever associated with another surface -- as the undisputed "King of Clay".

When a weary David Ferrer managed to win just five games in his French Open semi-final loss to Rafael Nadal in 2012, he was in no doubt over the enormity of the challenge.

Rafael Nadal announced Thursday that he is pulling out of the French Open because of a lingering hip injury, and he expects 2024 to be the final season of his career. The owner of a record 14 championships at the clay-court Grand Slam tournament will miss it for the first time since making his debut there in 2005. Nadal, who turns 37 next month, delivered the news of his withdrawal — and future plans — during a news conference at his tennis academy in Manacor, Spain. He said he does not want to set a date for his return to the tennis tour, but expects it to take months.