French Open 2023: Rafael Nadal's absence 'a massive hole nobody can fill', declares tennis legend

The French Open is currently underway but it is missing its centerpiece. 14-time champion Rafael Nadal pulled out of Roland Garros owing to a hip injury, paving the way for contenders to finally claim the coveted title.

22-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic and Nadal's fellow Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz are the favourites to win the French Open.

However, tennis experts and fans alike are feeling the absence of Paris' favourite, Rafa Nadal.

Tennis legend Martina Navratilova echoed the sentiments, 'Even though he hasn’t been playing, it’s a massive, massive hole that nobody can fill.'

Emphasising on Nadal's supremacy on the clay court, Navratilova said to Tennis Channel, 'When somebody has dominated a tournament as much as Rafa has dominated this. For almost two decades, it has been Rafael Nadal against the field.'

The French Open has been synonymous as the place to try and defeat Rafael Nadal but seldom anyone has achieved the feat.

Except for Novak Djokovic. He has prevailed over his rival twice at the premier clay court tournament.

But Navratilova did not acknowledge the 36-year-old Serb, simply saying, 'Now everybody thinks they have a chance to win because Rafa’s not there.' She added that Nadal's absence is a hole nobody can fill.