In serious decline in 2023 and 2024, did Rafael Nadal miss his exit? Let’s stop with the myth of the perfect retirement

Björn Borg, John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Andre Agassi and Roger Federer. All these champions embodied their era and wrote the most beautiful pages of modern tennis for more than forty years. And they have another lesser-known point in common: they did not end their careers on an ideal note, at least from a purely sporting point of view. While Rafael Nadal will bow out after the “Final 8” of the Davis Cup in Malaga (next November 19-24), some are already regretting the trajectory of his end of career.

For them, the “Bull of Manacor” should have said stop when he was still “him”, this machine for crushing his opponents on clay. Wouldn’t it have been superb to see the ogre of ocher retire at the height of his splendor in the wake of his 14th Roland-Garros in 2022, the last of his 22 Grand Slam coronations and the ultimate title just his individual career? By undergoing regular infiltrations during this tournament, Nadal had taken risks to achieve his objective. A sort of bet without a net, even if it means hanging up.

But once the title was acquired, the fighting character and the passion for competition quickly took over. Unfortunately, his body no longer followed suit from Wimbledon (abdominal injury and withdrawal from his half against Kyrgios) and he no longer found the continuity necessary for a possible return to the highest level despite several attempts to come back. back. In 2023 and 2024, Nadal has played 23 matches in total, a pittance. And when he seemed in the best shape, in the first round of the last Roland-Garros, fate got in his way by giving him the future finalist Alexander Zverev.

The way in which the Mallorcan was dominated by his great rival Novak Djokovic for their 60th duel in the 2nd round of the Olympic Games (6-1, 6-4) on “his” central court Philippe-Chatrier and “his” clay probably has was the straw that broke the camel’s back. The one who convinced Nadal not to push things further.

The Mallorcan is such a living legend of the game that anything other than a triumphant outing could be considered disappointing. “I know it’s very complicated for him, but at least I want to see him win a big tournament“, prayed the journalist David Sánchez in the radio show “El Partidazo de Cope” a few weeks ago.

The hope of a final Davis Cup triumph remains, even if Nadal has a better chance of being lined up in doubles. But the idea that he could have anticipated this decline is tenacious, including among his greatest admirers. And it echoes the comments of one of our British colleagues who wondered about the relentlessness of Andy Murray before he retired from doubles at the Olympic Games. Wasn’t he tarnishing his legacy? “I’m going through a terrible time at the moment, I’ll grant you that. Most would give up in my situation. But I’m not most people, my mind works differently. I won’t give up, I will keep fighting“, the Scotsman rightly protested.

The end of a career is the famous “little death” of a top athlete. Pushing it to the maximum seems more than legitimate, especially for enthusiasts and warriors of this standing. And the ending doesn’t have to be sublime, it’s not a Hollywood film to which we necessarily have to add a “happy ending”. Nadal has given enough emotions and created enough lasting memories for several decades to come.

Björn Borg, the former king of the earth before the “Bull of Manacor” took over, is perhaps the player who has most revolutionized tennis in its recent history. Thanks to the introduction of the lift in particular, but also to its rockstar aura. However, he “missed” his release, and rather twice than once. Tired, his sudden departure at the age of 26 had left his great rival John McEnroe an orphan. His short-lived return with his wooden racket in 1991 was pathetic. But ultimately, is this what we remember or the epic final of Wimbledon 1980 and its tie-break in the fourth set of anthology?

So where does this obsession with exiting through the front door come from? Perhaps from a separate case. That of Pete Sampras. At the end of the summer of 2002, the Californian ended his immense career with a triumph at Flushing Meadows. Far from being the favorite at the start of the fortnight – he was only seeded 17 in the tournament – ​​“Pistol Pete” embarked on a final adventure that ended like a dream, victoriously against his rival Andre Agassi in the final. . His 14th and final Grand Slam title, a record at the time.

The story was beautiful, probably too good. Because on the evening of his victory, Sampras had not decided to stop. For months, he even saw himself returning to the circuit, why not at Wimbledon, before realizing that he was too worn out and tired of traveling to continue. The American federation (USTA) only paid tribute to him during the 2003 US Open, a year after his last racquet swing in competition.

The reality is that it’s hard to let go. And even more so when you have been a legend in your sport. This was true of all the great champions in the history of tennis. So let’s stop with the myth of triumphant sporting retirement, it doesn’t exist or it’s a happy accident. The most important thing is to be at peace with your decision. Rafael Nadal seems to be. So can’t wait for Malaga!