Nadal turns down Bordeaux Challenger wild card as fears grow around fitness ahead of Roland-Garros

Although French fans might have hoped to see Rafael Nadal play in the Bordeaux Challenger, which starts on Monday, tournament director Jean-Baptiste Perlant says it’s not going to happen.

He confirmed to L’Equipe that he had been in touch with Carlos Costa, Nadal’s agent, but said (in French, in quotes translated by Tennis Majors): “I offered him one of the wild-cards. Carlos Costa very kindly replied 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 Roland-Garros.”

Nadal has not played a match since January, when he lost in the second round of the Australian Open to Mackenzie McDonald. Video footage emerged on social media this week apparently of the Spaniard struggling on the training court, making it look less and less likely that he will be fully fit in time for this year’s French Open.

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Perlant went on to say it would have been both “extraordinary” and “complicated” to have Nadal in Bordeaux – mostly because of the increased number of people wanting to see him, and the ensuing extra security that would be required.

“It would have been very complicated. Already we will have a lot of people… For some people, it could have been a disappointment (that Nadal didn’t come), but not for me.”

Perlant already has a star-studded line-up in Bordeaux, with three former Grand Slam champions competing: Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka and Dominic Thiem. Richard Gasquet and Jan-Lennard Struff are also on the entry list.

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