Rafael Nadal may walk away if his body fails at French Open: John McEnroe

American tennis legend and ESPN commentator John McEnroe predicted Monday that Rafael Nadal could step away from the sport if another injury issue befalls him at the French Open in May. 

McEnroe made his comments a day after Nadal withdrew from the Australian Open due to a small tear in a hip muscle. 

“I think Rafa was hoping, ‘Hopefully I’ll be ready for the French, see if my body holds up there,’” McEnroe told reporters during an Australian Open media conference call. “If it doesn’t, I think you’ll see him not play anymore. We’re all obviously hopeful he can because Rafa has been amazing for the game. We’d like to see him as long as we can.”

Nadal has been hampered by injury since last year’s Australian Open, when he hurt his hip flexor during a second-round loss to Mackenzie McDonald.

The injury ended up costing him the entire 2023 season, and he underwent surgery in June. 

Nadal stepped back on the court for his comeback recently when he participated in the Brisbane International and won his first two matches.

He was eventually eliminated by Jordan Thompson in the quarterfinals, a match in which Nadal required a medical timeout and testing revealed the tear. 

Nadal has won 22 Grand Slam singles titles during his career, two fewer than rival Novak Djokovic. 

“For Rafa, big bummer that he’s not going to be in Melbourne,” American tennis legend and ESPN analyst Mary Joe Fernández said. “I was really excited to have him back. I watched some of his matches last week and thought he looked very good for not having played in one year. He was striking the ball really well.

“The injuries are tough. The game has become so physical that I think the goal will be the French and the Olympics for Rafa. I think tennis-wise he’s optimistic because his level was quite high right away. It’s a matter now of managing the body and seeing if he can be healthy.”