Rafael Nadal on Thursday, May 18, announced his withdrawal from the French Open 2023 bringing an end to his 18-year streak of appearing at the Roland-Garros. In his illustrious career, Nadal has never missed the French Open and won the title a record 14 times. With Nadal confirming his withdrawal from the tournament this year, the French Open will have a major miss with good friend Roger Federer also not part of the roster, having announced his retirement from the sport in September 2022.

<h2>Why Nadal will be a big absence?</h2>

In the last 18 editions of the French Open, the so-called ‘King of Clay’ dominated in Paris on 14 occasions and never lost a final. Interestingly, he won five consecutive Roland-Garros titles from 2010 to 2014 when he was at the peak of his game. He lost only three matches in Paris and remains one of the most coveted players to have graced the game.

"I'll look to be 100% ready for next year, which I believe will be the last year of my professional career," Nadal told reporters.

"I can't say this 100 per cent because you never know what's going to happen," he said.

With a record of 118-3, he stands alone in both men and women to have won the most matches at a Grand Slam tournament. His record of winning the French Open title on 14 occasions is the most by any player at a single slam in the singles division.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2023-faf-du-plessis-praises-passionate-kohli-says-playing-with-him-is-better-than-playing-against-him-593606">IPL 2023: Faf du Plessis praises passionate Kohli, says playing with him is better than being in opposite team</a>

In 2022, Nadal won his 22nd Grand Slam title, the most by any men’s tennis star at that moment (now joined by Novak Djokovic).

Interestingly, not since 1999 will the Roland-Garros kick start without Federer and Nadal, another new for the tennis fraternity.

<h2>Nadal to retire in 2024?</h2>

During the press conference on Thursday, Nadal also spoke on his retirement plans in 2024 which will bring curtains on his illustrious career. If the retirement plans go accordingly, it will also bring down the curtains to a unique rivalry with Novak Djokovic. They both share a great and could have already seen its last as Djokovic too is in the twilight of his career. 
 
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Rafael Nadal on Thursday, May 18, announced his withdrawal from the French Open 2023 bringing an end to his 18-year streak of appearing at the Roland-Garros. In his illustrious career, Nadal has never missed the French Open and won the title a record 14 times.

Rafael Nadal on Thursday, May 18, announced his withdrawal from the French Open 2023 bringing an end to his 18-year streak of appearing at the Roland-Garros. In his illustrious career, Nadal has never missed the French Open and won the title a record 14 times. With Nadal confirming his withdrawal from the tournament this year, the French Open will have a major miss with good friend Roger Federer also not part of the roster, having announced his retirement from the sport in September 2022. Why Nadal will be a big absence? In the last 18 editions of the French Open, the so-called ‘King of Clay’ dominated in Paris on 14 occasions and never lost a final. Interestingly, he won five consecutive Roland-Garros titles from 2010 to 2014 when he was at the peak of his game. He lost only three matches in Paris and remains one of the most coveted players to have graced the game. "I'll look to be 100% ready for next year, which I believe will be the last year of my professional career," Nadal told reporters. "I can't say this 100 per cent because you never know what's going to happen," he said. With a record of 118-3, he stands alone in both men and women to have won the most matches at a Grand Slam tournament. His record of winning the French Open title on 14 occasions is the most by any player at a single slam in the singles division. ALSO READ | IPL 2023: Faf du Plessis praises passionate Kohli, says playing with him is better than being in opposite team In 2022, Nadal won his 22nd Grand Slam title, the most by any men’s tennis star at that moment (now joined by Novak Djokovic). Interestingly, not since 1999 will the Roland-Garros kick start without Federer and Nadal, another new for the tennis fraternity. Nadal to retire in 2024? During the press conference on Thursday, Nadal also spoke on his retirement plans in 2024 which will bring curtains on his illustrious career. If the retirement plans go accordingly, it will also bring down the curtains to a unique rivalry with Novak Djokovic. They both share a great and could have already seen its last as Djokovic too is in the twilight of his career. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Rafael Nadal's clay court dominance and why he will be missed at French Open for the first time

Rafael Nadal charged into the French Open last 16 on Friday and took another confident stride towards equalling Roger Federer's record of 20 major titles while a crop of rising youngsters offered tantalising glimpses of their potential.

The 12-time Roland Garros champion dispatched Italian world number 74 Stefano Travaglia 6-1, 6-4, 6-0 in just 95 minutes, notching his 96th victory at the tournament.

"I think today I played the best match this year at Roland Garros," said Nadal.

Nadal next faces 213th-ranked American qualifier Sebastian Korda, the son of 1998 Australian Open champion and 1992 French Open runner-up Petr Korda, for a quarter-final spot.

"He's my biggest idol. He's one of the reasons I play tennis," Korda said of the Spaniard.

"Growing up, I named my cat Rafa after him. That says a lot about how much I love the guy."

The 20-year-old Korda beat Pedro Martinez in straight sets to become the first man outside the top 200 to make the last 16 in Paris since France's Arnaud di Pasquale in 2002.&nbsp;

Hugo Gaston, also 20, quickly became the second such lowly-ranked man in the fourth round when the world number 239 shocked 2015 champion Stan Wawrinka 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-0 in a rain-interrupted tie.

Gaston goes on to play US Open winner and Austrian third seed Dominic Thiem, the runner-up to Nadal in Paris the past two years.

"It's amazing for me, it's a dream. But I try to stay focused," said Gaston, the lone Frenchman remaining in the draw. "I'm feeling tired with the adrenaline rush but I still have some gas."

"I'm not going to put pressure on myself and will try to play relaxed like I did today," he added.

At 19, Italian teenager Jannik Sinner is the youngest player to reach the fourth round at Roland Garros since Novak Djokovic in 2006.

Last year's Next Gen champion made the second week of a Grand Slam for the first time by beating Federico Coria 6-3, 7-5, 7-5.

He will meet the US Open runner-up Alexander Zverev after the German sixth seed ended the run of qualifier and 2018 semi-finalist Marco Cecchinato in three sets.

"I'm just trying to improve day after day," said the 75th-ranked Sinner, who is yet to drop a set in Paris.

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<h2>- Halep gets revenge -</h2>

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Top seed and title favourite Simona Halep, the 2018 champion, avenged last year's Roland Garros loss to Amanda Anisimova by thrashing the American teenager 6-0, 6-1 in only 54 minutes.

The reigning Wimbledon champion made only seven unforced errors as she stretched her career-best winning run to 17 matches.

"I think I played a really good match. I was very aggressive and I knew from last year I had to change something and I did that today," said Halep. "I took the game in my hands."

Halep meets another 19-year-old opponent, Poland's Iga Swiatek, for a place in the quarter-finals. She dropped just one game when the pair met here in the last 16 a year ago.

Halep's status as the women's frontrunner was reinforced following the withdrawal of Serena Williams, on top of the absence of world number one and defending champion Ashleigh Barty, as well as US Open winner Naomi Osaka.

"I don't feel the pressure. Of course I expect from myself to play good tennis but that doesn't mean I have to win every match," said Halep.

"I just want to try to take my chance every time I step on the court, and I'm not thinking about title. It's very far (off)."&nbsp;

Thiem made surprisingly short work of Norwegian 28th seed Casper Ruud, who has won more tour-level matches on clay than anyone else this season.

"In general I was super happy with my performance. I think was one of the best ones this year," said Thiem following an impressive 6-4, 6-3, 6-1 victory.

Two-time quarter-finalist Elina Svitolina ensured she will stick around for the second week with a 6-4, 7-5 win over Russia's Ekaterina Alexandrova, the 27th seed.

Svitolina will next play home hope Caroline Garcia, who upset 16th seed Elise Mertens 1-6, 6-4, 7-5.

Italy's Lorenzo Sonego edged a 36-point tiebreak against Taylor Fritz to complete a 7-6 (7/5), 6-3, 7-6 (19/17) victory.

Fifth seed Kiki Bertens eased aside Katerina Siniakova 6-2, 6-2, moving swiftly on from her stormy win over Sara Errani in the previous round.

Rafael Nadal charged into the French Open last 16 on Friday and took another confident stride towards equalling Roger Federer's record of 20 major titles while a crop of rising youngsters offered tantalising glimpses of their potential.

Rafael Nadal charged into the French Open last 16 on Friday and took another confident stride towards equalling Roger Federer's record of 20 major titles while a crop of rising youngsters offered tantalising glimpses of their potential. The 12-time Roland Garros champion dispatched Italian world number 74 Stefano Travaglia 6-1, 6-4, 6-0 in just 95 minutes, notching his 96th victory at the tournament. "I think today I played the best match this year at Roland Garros," said Nadal. Nadal next faces 213th-ranked American qualifier Sebastian Korda, the son of 1998 Australian Open champion and 1992 French Open runner-up Petr Korda, for a quarter-final spot. "He's my biggest idol. He's one of the reasons I play tennis," Korda said of the Spaniard. "Growing up, I named my cat Rafa after him. That says a lot about how much I love the guy." The 20-year-old Korda beat Pedro Martinez in straight sets to become the first man outside the top 200 to make the last 16 in Paris since France's Arnaud di Pasquale in 2002. Hugo Gaston, also 20, quickly became the second such lowly-ranked man in the fourth round when the world number 239 shocked 2015 champion Stan Wawrinka 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-0 in a rain-interrupted tie. Gaston goes on to play US Open winner and Austrian third seed Dominic Thiem, the runner-up to Nadal in Paris the past two years. "It's amazing for me, it's a dream. But I try to stay focused," said Gaston, the lone Frenchman remaining in the draw. "I'm feeling tired with the adrenaline rush but I still have some gas." "I'm not going to put pressure on myself and will try to play relaxed like I did today," he added. At 19, Italian teenager Jannik Sinner is the youngest player to reach the fourth round at Roland Garros since Novak Djokovic in 2006. Last year's Next Gen champion made the second week of a Grand Slam for the first time by beating Federico Coria 6-3, 7-5, 7-5. He will meet the US Open runner-up Alexander Zverev after the German sixth seed ended the run of qualifier and 2018 semi-finalist Marco Cecchinato in three sets. "I'm just trying to improve day after day," said the 75th-ranked Sinner, who is yet to drop a set in Paris. - Halep gets revenge - Top seed and title favourite Simona Halep, the 2018 champion, avenged last year's Roland Garros loss to Amanda Anisimova by thrashing the American teenager 6-0, 6-1 in only 54 minutes. The reigning Wimbledon champion made only seven unforced errors as she stretched her career-best winning run to 17 matches. "I think I played a really good match. I was very aggressive and I knew from last year I had to change something and I did that today," said Halep. "I took the game in my hands." Halep meets another 19-year-old opponent, Poland's Iga Swiatek, for a place in the quarter-finals. She dropped just one game when the pair met here in the last 16 a year ago. Halep's status as the women's frontrunner was reinforced following the withdrawal of Serena Williams, on top of the absence of world number one and defending champion Ashleigh Barty, as well as US Open winner Naomi Osaka. "I don't feel the pressure. Of course I expect from myself to play good tennis but that doesn't mean I have to win every match," said Halep. "I just want to try to take my chance every time I step on the court, and I'm not thinking about title. It's very far (off)." Thiem made surprisingly short work of Norwegian 28th seed Casper Ruud, who has won more tour-level matches on clay than anyone else this season. "In general I was super happy with my performance. I think was one of the best ones this year," said Thiem following an impressive 6-4, 6-3, 6-1 victory. Two-time quarter-finalist Elina Svitolina ensured she will stick around for the second week with a 6-4, 7-5 win over Russia's Ekaterina Alexandrova, the 27th seed. Svitolina will next play home hope Caroline Garcia, who upset 16th seed Elise Mertens 1-6, 6-4, 7-5. Italy's Lorenzo Sonego edged a 36-point tiebreak against Taylor Fritz to complete a 7-6 (7/5), 6-3, 7-6 (19/17) victory. Fifth seed Kiki Bertens eased aside Katerina Siniakova 6-2, 6-2, moving swiftly on from her stormy win over Sara Errani in the previous round.

Nadal eases into French Open last 16 as new kids emerge

Rafael Nadal looks to build on a promising start to his quest to match Roger Federer's 20 Grand Slam titles at the French Open on Wednesday while Serena Williams faces a familiar foe in round two of her latest push to equal Margaret Court's all-time mark.

Top seed and women's favourite Simona Halep puts her 15-match winning streak on the line as she targets another run at a second Roland Garros crown in three years.

Nadal needs one more major to pull level with long-time rival Federer and owns an astonishing 94-2 record in Paris going back to his triumph on debut in 2005.

The Spaniard showed little trouble in handling the heavier conditions in his opening win over Egor Gerasimov at a tournament postponed four months by the coronavirus pandemic.

However, the 34-year-old is wary of an untimely slip-up having made serene progress on his return to action in Rome before running aground in the quarter-finals.&nbsp;

"Six months without playing a single tennis match is not easy," said 12-time French Open winner Nadal, who touched down in Paris without a clay title to his name for the first time.

"I said in Rome when I played the first two matches well, I said, 'Okay, don't believe things are going to be like this.'&nbsp;

"I know how difficult are the comebacks. I had to stop playing tennis for more than two months, so situation is difficult. It's normal, some up and downs."

A first-time opponent again awaits Nadal in 236th-ranked American Mackenzie McDonald, whose lone tour win this season came against Yusutaka Uchiyama at Delray Beach in February.

In the women's draw, Williams heads into another encounter with Tsvetana Pironkova after the pair squared off in the last eight of the US Open earlier this month.

&nbsp;

<h2>- Serena braces for 'long match' -</h2>

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Williams came from a set down in New York to beat fellow mother Pironkova, in the Bulgarian's first tournament appearance since the 2017 Wimbledon championships.

"She's playing well, but I am too," said Williams, imploring herself to play with more confidence after a slow start against Kristie Ahn in round one.

"I'm ready to play her. She'll be ready to play me. It will be a long match, she will get a lot of balls back, but so will I. I'll be ready."

Williams, seeded sixth, is still chasing an elusive 24th Slam title, but clay is her least successful surface.

She has not gone beyond the last 16 in Paris since her defeat to Garbine Muguruza in the 2016 final. Her last major came at the 2017 Australian Open while pregnant.

With defending champion Ashleigh Barty skipping the event over Covid-19 concerns, world number two Halep appears well set for a tilt at a third major.

She battles fellow Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu on Court Suzanne Lenglen, having been spared the grim weather by playing under the new retractable roof in her opener.&nbsp;

Halep has won each of her past three tournaments, resuming the interrupted season with titles on clay in Prague and Rome following her victory at Dubai in February.

US Open champion Dominic Thiem plays American qualifier Jack Sock, a former top 10 player, in the second round while 2015 French Open winner Stan Wawrinka takes on Dominik Koepfer following his mauling of Andy Murray.

Elina Svitolina faces Renata Zarazua, Mexico's first representative in the main draw of a Slam in 20 years, with Victoria Azarenka meeting Anna Karolina Schmiedlova.

Sixth seed Alexander Zverev will come up against Pierre-Hugues Herbert in the final match scheduled on Court Philippe Chatrier.

Rafael Nadal looks to build on a promising start to his quest to match Roger Federer's 20 Grand Slam titles at the French Open on Wednesday while Serena Williams faces a familiar foe in round two of her latest push to equal Margaret Court's all-time mark.

Rafael Nadal looks to build on a promising start to his quest to match Roger Federer's 20 Grand Slam titles at the French Open on Wednesday while Serena Williams faces a familiar foe in round two of her latest push to equal Margaret Court's all-time mark. Top seed and women's favourite Simona Halep puts her 15-match winning streak on the line as she targets another run at a second Roland Garros crown in three years. Nadal needs one more major to pull level with long-time rival Federer and owns an astonishing 94-2 record in Paris going back to his triumph on debut in 2005. The Spaniard showed little trouble in handling the heavier conditions in his opening win over Egor Gerasimov at a tournament postponed four months by the coronavirus pandemic. However, the 34-year-old is wary of an untimely slip-up having made serene progress on his return to action in Rome before running aground in the quarter-finals. "Six months without playing a single tennis match is not easy," said 12-time French Open winner Nadal, who touched down in Paris without a clay title to his name for the first time. "I said in Rome when I played the first two matches well, I said, 'Okay, don't believe things are going to be like this.' "I know how difficult are the comebacks. I had to stop playing tennis for more than two months, so situation is difficult. It's normal, some up and downs." A first-time opponent again awaits Nadal in 236th-ranked American Mackenzie McDonald, whose lone tour win this season came against Yusutaka Uchiyama at Delray Beach in February. In the women's draw, Williams heads into another encounter with Tsvetana Pironkova after the pair squared off in the last eight of the US Open earlier this month. - Serena braces for 'long match' - Williams came from a set down in New York to beat fellow mother Pironkova, in the Bulgarian's first tournament appearance since the 2017 Wimbledon championships. "She's playing well, but I am too," said Williams, imploring herself to play with more confidence after a slow start against Kristie Ahn in round one. "I'm ready to play her. She'll be ready to play me. It will be a long match, she will get a lot of balls back, but so will I. I'll be ready." Williams, seeded sixth, is still chasing an elusive 24th Slam title, but clay is her least successful surface. She has not gone beyond the last 16 in Paris since her defeat to Garbine Muguruza in the 2016 final. Her last major came at the 2017 Australian Open while pregnant. With defending champion Ashleigh Barty skipping the event over Covid-19 concerns, world number two Halep appears well set for a tilt at a third major. She battles fellow Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu on Court Suzanne Lenglen, having been spared the grim weather by playing under the new retractable roof in her opener. Halep has won each of her past three tournaments, resuming the interrupted season with titles on clay in Prague and Rome following her victory at Dubai in February. US Open champion Dominic Thiem plays American qualifier Jack Sock, a former top 10 player, in the second round while 2015 French Open winner Stan Wawrinka takes on Dominik Koepfer following his mauling of Andy Murray. Elina Svitolina faces Renata Zarazua, Mexico's first representative in the main draw of a Slam in 20 years, with Victoria Azarenka meeting Anna Karolina Schmiedlova. Sixth seed Alexander Zverev will come up against Pierre-Hugues Herbert in the final match scheduled on Court Philippe Chatrier.

Nadal, Serena on guard at French Open as Halep plays compatriot