Rafael Nadal’s French Open clothing is revealed… but he may never wear it

Tennis News

Kevin Palmer
May 27, 2023

The 2023 French Open is going to feel very different as 14-time champion Rafael Nadal will be absent and now the clothing he was due to wear at Roland Garros has been revealed.

Spain’s tennis icon has been the king of clay for well over a decade, with his dominance at the French open contributing to his record-breaking haul of 22 Grand Slam titles.

Now Nike has revealed what Nadal would have been wearing in Paris, with his blue look still set to be a big seller even though he may never play a competitive match in it.

If he makes his return to action later this year, Nadal’s clothing company are likely to have dreamed up a new design for him to wear on court.

So this stylish outfit may never make it onto a court emblazed with the distinctive raging bull Nadal logo.

Rafael Nadal's 2023 French Open collection — Rafael Nadal’s 2023 French Open collection

Nadal admitted he is staring at the end of his tennis career after announcing he will miss the French Open and the majority of the season ahead of what he expects to be a farewell tour in 2024.

The 22-time grand-slam champion has not played since his second-round exit at the Australian Open in January.

Nadal struggled with a hip injury during the straight-sets defeat to Mackenzie McDonald and the ongoing issue has failed to recover sufficiently in order for the 36-year-old to chase a 15th title at Roland Garros.

It means the Spaniard, who has only lost three matches on the Parisian clay, will miss the tournament for the first time since 2004 but he admitted during a press conference at his academy in Manacor that it feels the only option.

The 14-time French Open champion now plans to rest for the coming months with the aim to recover so he can play at “important tournaments” in 2024 during what will be his final year on the ATP Tour.

“My goal and my ambition is to try and stop and give myself an opportunity to enjoy the next year that will probably be my last year in the professional tour,” Nadal told reporters.

“That is my idea but I can’t say 100 per cent it will be like this, but my idea and my motivation is to try to enjoy and say goodbye to all the tournaments that have been important for me.

“To enjoy being competitive and something that today is not possible. I believe, if I keep going now, I will not be able to make it happen.”

On next week’s French Open, Nadal explained: “First thing, I’m not going to be able to play in Roland Garros.

“I was even working as much as possible every single day for the last four months, they have been very difficult months because we were not able to find a solution to the problems I had in Australia.

“Today I’m still in a position where I am not able to feel myself ready to compete at the standards I need to be to play Roland Garros.

“I am not the guy who will be at Roland Garros just to play.”

Rafael Nadal