Are you late Rafael Nadal‘s retirement? At 38 years old and after two seasons with many physical problems and without being able to compete for major titles, the Spanish tennis player, aware that his body no longer responds to the demands he wantshe will hang up his racket in a month in the Davis Cup Finals to be held in Malaga.
The Davis will be the epilogue of a legendary career in which the flame began to go out between the end of 2022 – the year in which he won the Australian Open and Roland Garros – and the beginning of 2023when an abdominal tear and a psoas injury sent him to the infirmary. The former number one underwent surgery in June 2023 with the intention of returning, to give himself one last chance. But Upon his return at the beginning of 2024, new physical problems appeared and the great Nadal never returned.
“I haven’t expected much from the end of my career for a long time, because One begins to realize how difficult everything is and I don’t believe in movie endings.“says the tennis player in an interview published this Monday by the newspaper As.”Almost no one has movie endings, because it is very difficult in sports to have themunless they are people who really get to the point where they are healthy and can win, but they don’t really enjoy what they do anymore. There, then, you can retire winning. When you are passionate about what you do, it is very difficult to retire being one hundred percent and winning.“.
A message for those who asked for his withdrawal
It has not been easy for Nadal to handle so many questions about retirement in recent years and he has even sometimes asked journalists to stop asking him about that issue. But recently it was no longer just journalists. And in the development of that topic, during the interview with As, The manacorí sends a message to those who believe that his withdrawal is too late.
“I have been through many things for which at some point it would have been easy, and perhaps logical, to let myself go a little more and say, that’s it.”
“People asked me why don’t you retire sooner? And From an outside point of view it is easy to give an opinion. From the sofa and writing with a mobile phone or a computer. But when you are happy doing what you do and your family is happy too, you want to try to continue. And my family was happy traveling with me to the tournaments, living a different experience and I think I would have liked to continue more if I could have and if I had really found a way to do it in standards that made me happy,” comments the 14-time Roland Garros champion after participating in the Six Kings Slam: “And it was because I received the support of the people I needed to be by my side to do that, who were happy following me. If that hadn’t happened, it would have been very difficult for me to continue, especially what recent times have been like.“.
Nadal also looks back at the mistakes he may have made throughout his career. “Of course it would change things, obviously. Those who say no, that they wouldn’t change anything, are deeply arrogant. Of course I have made a lot of mistakes in my career and in my life as well. It is assumed and we look forward. On Mondays, we all always know what we would have done on Friday. But I have always tried to do things as I felt them and with a good intention,” says Carlos Moyà’s pupil.
“And what have I been wrong? That I have made decisions that have later led me to be in more problems? Yes, but also many times it has turned out well for me and I have ended up winning very important tournaments. So where is the balance? If we knew it on Monday, if we had always chosen the conservative option, then maybe instead of having the ones I have, I would have 12 Grand Slams.It is always difficult to find the perfect balance, but of course, if I went back now, I would tell you exactly the points in which I would not repeat what I did.”
At that point, Nadal highlights the “determination” he had to “always try to come back” and that this was precisely the driving force that has led him to have such a long and prolific career.
“I think I have made an effort and I leave with the peace of mind of having done, I think, everything I could and a little more too. Because in the end, with the injuries, I didn’t let myself go, I had the determination to always try to come back, to continue, and do it in a positive way. I think I have achieved it. I have been through many things for which at some point it would have been easy, and perhaps logical, to let myself go a little more and say, that’s it.“.
