New 21-year-low for Rafael Nadal, ranked outside top 600 after 2023 season concludes

Rafael Nadal will finish the 2023 season outside the top 600 for the first time in his 21-year career.

The 22-times Grand Slam champion has hardly played this year, with his last appearance on the ATP Tour in January, where he suffered a second-round defeat to Mackenzie McDonald, ruling him out of contention for defending his 2022 title.

Although Nadal was expected to make a comeback during the clay season, his physical condition didn't allow it, leading him to undergo surgery in June for proper recovery. At 37, Nadal will end the year with the worst ranking of his career since 2002 when he finished as world No. 200.

The Spanish player left behind his incredible streak of 912 consecutive weeks in the top 10 in March of this year and is now poised to finish as world No. 662, although he could still drop further based on the latest results in ITF tournaments.

Despite this, Nadal won't face difficulties in securing wild cards for tournaments with his status as a tennis legend, although there are doubts about the level he can display. The Spaniard announced that he hopes to be competitive but remains cautious about what he can achieve in his comeback:

"Yes, I would like to play again and be competitive again, but the dream is not to come back and win Roland Garros or win Australia, so that people don't get confused, right?" Nadal told Movistar Plus+

"I am very aware that at the time I am in my life, all that is very far away, right? And I don't say it's impossible because in the end I say things, I have said it a thousand times, all things in sport, they change very quickly."

So far, Nadal is the all-time record holder for the French Open with 14 titles, an achievement unmatched by any other player in a single Grand Slam.