Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from next week’s Italian Open, claiming that his condition has improved and that he will be ready for the French Open.

Because of a hip issue, the 36-year-old Spaniard has not played since January and believes he needs more time to train.

Unless he competes in one of the events starting May 21 in Geneva or Lyon, the 14-time champion will arrive at Roland Garros without having played a match on clay this year.

“I’m very sorry to announce that I will not be able to attend the conference in Rome,” he stated.

“You all know how much it hurts to miss another one of the tournaments that have marked my professional and personal career for all of the love and support of the Italian fans,” the 22-time Grand Slam champion said in a social media message.

“Despite having noticed an improvement in recent days, there have been many months without being able to train at a high level, and the re-adaptation process has its times, and I have no choice but to accept them and continue working.”

His comment is far more upbeat than his previous post, in which he stated that he had suspended training to seek other treatments.

The French Open began on May 28 in Paris.