Daniil Medvedev hopes Rafael Nadal returns to action soon after withdrawing from the French Open to rest his body

Updated 18/05/2023 at 18:27 GMT

Rafael Nadal has confirmed he will not be defending his title at Roland Garros as he needs to rest his body, while he has also said 2024 is likely to be his final year playing on the professional tour. Despite recognising Nadal's absence as an opportunity for success on clay, world No.3 Daniil Medvedev hopes the 22-time Grand Slam champion is back in action in the near future.

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Daniil Medvedev has said he hopes that Rafael Nadal is back on court very soon.

The 14-time Roland Garros winner announced on Thursday that he would not play the French Open this year, and that next year would likely be his last on the tour.

Nadal failed to commit to how long he would be out of action but said he needs to take some time off for his body, as well as for his happiness - indicating that he will be away for months rather than weeks.

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Nadal’s struggled with multiple injuries in recent years and has not played since January’s Australian Open due to a hip complaint.

Speaking about his condition, Nadal said, "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."

As for Medvedev, he has found good form on clay ahead of the French Open and, talking after he made the Italian Open semi-final with a straight-sets victory over Yannick Hanfmann, admitted he would rather have the challenge of facing Nadal than the Spanish great not be playing.

“Hopefully he can come back as fast as possible because he’s an amazing player, amazing athlete, one of the best in the history”, Medvedev said.

“We can argue about this but hopefully he can come back and play some more Slams as long as he can and we’ll see how it goes.”

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Despite his kind words, Medvedev also appreciates the opportunity Nadal’s absence provides.

“I guess it’s a first Roland Garros in whatever, 10 years, where there is no Rafa and probably out of these ten he won it probably what, nine, eight times.

“It opens the possibility for many players because even if he would not be let’s call it 100% physically but he would decide to play, he would be favourite, for sure”, he said.

Having never won a match in Rome before this week, Medvedev will play either Stefanos Tsitsipas or Borna Coric in the last four.

"I said before the tournament that I was feeling really great on practice. I’m proving it. I feel great," the Russian said about his form.

“I knew I had to put as many balls in the court as possible because he plays aggressive so there are not many points where you’re going to be leading the point, it’s going to be mainly him”, he said.

“What you have to do, play deep and try to make him miss. I managed to do it. Maybe he didn’t play the best match but that’s how it works. You cannot play your best match every day.”