Could the French Open 2023 be Rafael Nadal's final appearance in Paris?

With the 2023 French Open scheduled to begin in a few days, there is still lingering uncertainty over the participation of defending Rafael Nadal at the tournament.

The appearance of the 'King of Clay' in Paris is a big question mark as he hasn’t played any tennis since his second-round loss in the Australian Open to American Mackenzie McDonald in straight sets. A hip injury he picked up during the defeat has since kept the Spaniard out of action.

If Rafael Nadal manages to play and pulls off a victory, he will have 23 Grand Slam titles in the bag as well as his 15th trophy at the French Open. Should Nadal pull out of his favorite event, though, it would mean current World No. 1 Djokovic would have an easier path to the final, where he could win a record 23rd Major title.

A threat to Djokovic, however, still looms large in the form of World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz.

Novak Djokovic has had his own share of fitness concerns as well, as he was bothered by a hamstring injury during the Australian Open, followed by an elbow problem that forced him to pull out of the Madrid Open most recently.

Djokovic is one of many hoping to see the Mallorcan return to action at Roland Garros, with the World No. 1 additng that it was important for the French Open that Nadal recover in time for the event. Having seen social media videos of the 14-time winner practice, Djokovic remained cautiously optimistic about the prospect of seeing his arch-rival in Paris by the end of the month.

"Of course, him missing any tournament, but particularly the big ones, has an impact on the tennis world and the tennis fans. So I'm sure that everyone wants to see him there. I would like to see him play because I think for the competition, it is the best if you can have the best players in the world so the challenge is as big as it can be," Djokovic said in his press conference at the Italian Open.

"I know I've been seeing some videos that he's been training, he's been trying to get himself ready for it. Yeah, let's see. I mean, I'm obviously not in his shoes, not in his skin. I don't know what he's feeling. I'm sure he's trying his best to be there. Let's see what happens," he added.

Even if Nadal does make a miraculous comeback in time for the French Open this year, with the southpaw pushing 36, many in the tennis world are not optimistic about him continuing to do all this for yet another year.

Could Rafael Nadal continue playing past 2023?

2022 French Open - Day Fifteen

Rafael Nadal has absolutely dominated the clay courts at Roland Garros and has won the title 14 times since first winning the title as a teenager in 2005. While it is never wise to doubt the Spaniard’s chances in Paris, his chances of participation do look increasingly remote at this point.

Nadal’s fans have every right to worry that his best days may be behind him. His durability is very much a concern, as he has tasted victory in a mere five matches since withdrawing from his Wimbledon semifinal in 2022.

The winner of 22 Grand Slam titles was to face Kyrgios in the penultimate round when he had to depart with an abdominal tear to blame. Rafael Nadal’s unfortunate tryst with multiple injuries means the Spaniard is now out of the ATP top 10 for the first time in 18 years.

More importantly, the 36-year-old hasn’t played a single match on clay in 2023 ahead of the French Open, as he pulled out of four back-to-back tournaments at Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Madrid, and now Rome.

The long list of injuries accumulated over the years may mean Rafael Nadal is no longer the force he once was. With all this in mind, 2023 could very well be the last year he graces the red clay at Roland Garros, which in itself is far from guaranteed.

Even former World No. 1 Boris Becker worried the same might be the case, saying in a recent interview:

"All Nadal fans, and I'm one of them, are worried. It happens that he is injured. After his injury in Melbourne, it was said that he would be fit again for the clay-court season. That was not the case. If he cancels the clay-court tournaments in preparation for Roland-Garros, something really bad must have happened."

“I really hope he can at least compete in Paris. That would at least be good news. A player always has to decide for himself which is his last tournament - and I sincerely hope that for Rafa, it won't be the Roland-Garros tournament this year."

While the Nadal camp is yet to concretely declare anything, it is very possible that the 14-time winner might not show up to the French Open this year. Even if he does, it is highly likely that this will be his last ever appearance in Paris.