Rafael Nadal has turned down a wild-card offer for the upcoming Challenger tournament in Bordeaux, raising more concerns about his potential participation at the French Open later this month.
Nadal has been dealing with an ongoing hip injury that has sidelined him since his early elimination from the Australian Open in January. Having missed every tournament since, including the ongoing Italian Open, there is a high chance of the Spaniard now potentially being absent from Roland Garros.
That seems even more so the case after Bordeaux clay-court director Jean-Baptiste Perlant confirmed he had extended a wild-card invitation to Nadal for the event next week — only for it to get declined.
“I offered him [Nadal's agent Carlos Costa] one of the wild cards,” Jean-Baptiste Perlant told French sports daily L'Equipe (via ESPN). “He very kindly told me that Nadal was continuing his preparation at home in Manacor, that he was not ready and was in a race against time to be ready for the French Open.”
Rafael Nadal was initially only expected to be out for a maximum of eight months following the first Grand Slam of the year. But with each passing tournament withdrawal, the signs don't look too good.
That said, although he will not have the ideal clay preparation that he would have liked, that hasn't stopped Nadal from winning the French Open in the past.
If he can find himself fully injury-free by the time Roland Garros begins, he can still expect to be among the favorites. The French Open commences in two weeks on May 28 and the tennis world will be eagerly awaiting a positive update soon.
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