Rafael Nadal‘s impressive tennis career is coming to an end. Boris Becker thinks the Spaniard’s decision was right, but already misses the clay court king on the court.
“When I heard about Nadal’s resignation, it was initially a punch in the pit of my stomach – but it wasn’t unexpected after the long break,” Becker commented on Nadal’s resignation announcement.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion officially announced on Thursday that he was ending his tennis career after the current season. Nadal will serve for the last time at the Davis Cup finals in November in Malaga. The left-hander has repeatedly been absent due to injury in recent months.
“After the last individual match at the Olympic Games to date against Novak Djokovic and the cancellation of the Laver Cup, it was clear to insiders that the end was near. I believe that the decision is the right one,” Becker continued about the Mallorcan’s upcoming career end.
Boris Becker: Rafael Nadal “a sports icon”
“22 Grand Slams, including the French Open 14 times and every other Grand Slam tournament won at least once, 209 weeks as number one, five times the year finished as number one – these are numbers that don’t actually exist,” paid homage to the German tennis icon Nadal.
You also have to see “which opponents he had. A Novak Djokovic, a Roger Federer,” said Becker, recalling that Nadal had huge competition on the ATP tour over the years.
“The tennis world will miss him, he is not just a tennis icon, but a sports icon,” Becker paid tribute to the 38-year-old: “That also applies to the way he performed off the court. Rafa is a role model for the young generation. He showed us how to deal with defeats, how to improve, how to improve and not be satisfied with yesterday. There will never be anyone else who comes close to Rafael Nadal.”
