Rafael Nadal has stated that the Paris Olympics could be his final act in tennis, with the Spaniard admitting he will now take some time to ‘rest and examine everything’.
Rafael Nadal has intimated that the Paris Olympics may be his final performance in tennis as he considers retirement.
The Spanish athlete has already returned home to Mallorca and was greeted by his father, Sebastian. The dust has still to settle on his final Olympic campaign, but Nadal has outlined his future plans ahead of the US Open later this year.
Speaking to IB3 TV, Nadal indicated that he will take a break to reflect on his year in tennis and decide his future move. The 38-year-old icon failed to win any medals in Paris, falling to Novak Djokovic, who won his first gold medal, in the singles brackets. The Spaniard also failed to get past the quarter-finals of the men’s doubles with teammate Carlos Alcaraz.
After going home, Nadal stated: “It is time to recuperate, to reflect on all that has happened over the last few months, and to find out what I truly want.
“The tournament is unlike anything else on the circuit, and I had a great time. It has been a pleasant, wonderful week; it has not finished as I had hoped, but this is sport. I have not been at the level required to compete for medals, and our doubles team has been unsuccessful.”
Following their quarter-final exit last week, the 22-time Grand Slam winner reflected on his partnership with Alcaraz, saying: “We have had a terrific relationship, we have been happy, with energy on the court, but it has not been possible. That’s how it is. There is no need for further analysis. I just need to figure out when I’ll be able to fly home.”
Nadal, who owns two Olympic gold medals – one in singles in Beijing 2008 and one in doubles with Marc Lopez in Rio 2016 – conceded that winning in singles “was always going to be difficult,” but he believed he had a chance at a medal in doubles with Alcaraz.
Despite a solid performance in Paris, Nadal and the 21-year-old Alcaraz were eliminated in the men’s doubles quarterfinals by Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram.
Following the Olympics, speculation over Nadal’s retirement grew, with the tennis star hinting that he would skip this year’s US Open. He went on to say, “It looks like not, but I’ll let you know soon.” I can’t give you a clear response right now; I need some time. But, to me, it seemed impossible.”
Nadal’s brilliant career spans 23 years, during which he has won 22 Grand Slam titles, including an incredible 14 French Opens, two Wimbledon titles, two Australian Opens, and four United States Opens.
