Rafael Nadal has supplied encouragement that he can be able to pursue a record-extending fifteenth French Open title at Roland Garros this summer season. However, he has confirmed he'll miss the Italian Open, which begins subsequent week in Rome, the ultimate occasion earlier than the season's second Grand Slam.

Nadal hasn't performed since struggling a straight-sets defeat to Mackenzie McDonald within the Australian Open second spherical in January.

During the encounter, the 36-year-old was stifled by a hip damage to the iliopsoas muscle in his left leg and later withdrew from Indian Wells.

With the clay season underway, Nadal has but to get better, taking to Instagram on Friday afternoon to verify his absence from Rome.

But he supplied a considerably constructive replace on his standing for the French Open, claiming his situation has improved in current days.

He wrote: Hello Everyone! "Sorry to announce that I won't be able to be in Rome.

"You all understand how a lot it hurts me to overlook one other one of many tournaments which have marked my skilled and private profession due to all of the love and help of Italian followers.

"Despite having noticed an improvement these past few days, it's been many months since I have not been able to train at a high level, and the process of readaption has its times, and I have no choice but to accept them and keep working."

If Nadal does make the French Open, it is going to be the primary time in his illustrious profession he has entered with out competing in a earlier clay occasion on the ATP Tour that season.

But if he misses the event, he'll plummet out of the highest 100 gamers on the planet.

Nadal is defending 2000 factors in Paris after successful final 12 months's version, his twenty second and newest Grand Slam.

And even when he was to succeed in the quarter-finals this 12 months, his present world No 14 rating would not be protected, and he'd descend towards the sting of the highest 50.

Novak Djokovic can be vying to win a twenty third Slam in France to finish the comeback and edge previous Nadal as probably the most profitable tennis star in historical past.