- The 2023 French Open is finally going down on May 2022 to June 11
- It will be one of the most unique grand slams in history with some big names missing in action
- For the first time since 2004, Nadal will be a no-show in this year’s French Open despite being the undisputed king of clay
The 2023 French Open is finally going down but some popular tennis players will miss this event.
It will be one of the most unique grand slams in history with some big names missing in action. Nevertheless, it’s one event giving newbies a perfect platform to conquer the next decade of a new generation of tennis players.
Action starts on May 22 and ends on June 11. So, who is missing in action this season?
RAFAEL NADAL
Rafael Nadal Training. Photo/Tennis.com
For the first time since 2004, Nadal will be a no-show in this year’s French Open. Nadal withdrew from the French Open citing his physical fitness concern which has delayed his full recovery after picking an injury at the Australian Open.
The Spaniard announced on Thursday during a press conference that he will miss the French Open due to a yet-to-heal injury.
“Today I’m still in a position that I am not able to feel myself ready to compete at the standards that I need to be [at] to play a Roland-Garros. I am not the guy that is going to be at Roland-Garros and just try to be there and put myself in a position that I don’t like to be,” he said.
He will also retire after the 2024 French Open where he is hoping to add one last grand slam. Nadal already has 22 slams. Nadal, a 22-time grand slam champion is the undisputed king of clay with 14 victories since 2005.
EMMA RADUCANU
Emma Raducanu. Photo/Daily Mail
Emma Raducanu won’t compete in the French Open since she is still healing from three surgeries on her wrists and ankle. Raducanu has struggled with injuries for the past 11 months. Her 2022 season was plagued by wrist injuries and blisters.
She withdrew from the Madrid Open tournament to undergo surgery. Raducanu confirmed that she wouldn’t compete at Wimbledon or the French Open to allow her body ample time to heal.
Due to Raducanu’s withdrawal from the Madrid Open, she fell out of the top 100 in the WTA rankings, and given her extended absence, she may fall even further.
NICK KYRGIOS
Nick Kyrgios in Canberra Court. Photo/The New York Times
The Australian tennis player will miss Roland Garros after a left foot injury that he sustained during a car theft incident. He underwent surgery and he is yet to fully recover. He hasn’t played much this season due to injury but he is hopeful he will come back strong.
NAOMI OSAKA
Naomi Osaka. Photo/Naomi Osaka/IG
With all the glamour she brings to the court, the Japanese tennis player will miss the French Open because she is heavily pregnant. Osaka hasn’t played tennis this year as she readies to take care of her first child. She last played at the Tokyo Open in 2022.
She announced days before the Australian Open that she was about to become a mother. The four-time grand slam champion is pregnant for her rapper fiancée, Cordae. Osaka has the best record at the French Open, after making it to the third round in 2016, 2018, and 2019.
SIMONA HALEP
Romanian tennis player Simona Halep. Photo by Robert Prange/Getty Images
The former world No 1 is currently banned from playing, albeit provisionally over doping. She tested positive for Roxadustat after a sample was taken from her at the 2022 US Open. Roxadustat is on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List for 2022.
International Tennis Federation’s (ITF) doping unit, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) issued the provisional ban in October 2022. Halep weeks ago said that he efforts to appeal the ban are futile because she was never aware that she was taking a banned substance.
As if this is not enough, Halep is battling fresh controversy over reported irregularities on her Athlete Biological Passport. It is an additional charge of doping. She is now faced with a herculean task of anomalies in her ABP. An expert panel’s evaluation of Halep’s ABP profile led to the additional charge of an Adverse Passport Finding.
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