More than a month has passed since the end of the Olympic event, yet Rafael Nadal’s future is uncertain.
The former world number one isn’t in a hurry to determine whether or not to continue his professional career, although many believe his retirement is inevitable.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion has not met his aims for the year, and his results have fallen short of expectations. Despite his hard effort over the last six months, the Spanish legend was knocked out in the first round of the French Open in the second round of the Paris Olympics by her longtime adversary Novak Djokovic.
Rafa only made it to one final in 2024, on the red clay of Bastad, when he lost badly to Nuno Borges. The feeling is that Nadal will struggle to contend for the most major tournaments, and that his body has sent him too many messages during the last two years.
The Spaniard will play in the Laver Cup, which will take place in Berlin at the end of this month. It was also reported a while ago that he would compete in the ‘Six Kings Slam’, which would take place in Saudi Arabia in October among other elite players (Djokovic, Sinner, Alcaraz, Medvedev, and Rune).
Ferrer on Nadal’s future
Fans and experts are questioning if it makes sense for Rafa to continue playing at the professional level without the possibility of winning other important titles.
Speaking with Cadena Ser, former ATP star and current Davis Cup captain David Ferrer discussed Nadal’s future: “He has a clear goal in his itinerary since the completion of the Olympic Games: to play the Laver Cup and then the exhibition in Saudi Arabia. And he’s in a different period. He wanted to rest and disconnect… It was something he needed, but we’ll see. When this is over and he has to determine what he wants to do, he will inform me. When I speak with him, I want him to be okay. The key thing is that he is pleased and satisfied. He constantly has an open door and is aware of it.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion announced that 2024 would be the final year of his storied career. Due to the customary injuries, the Spaniard did not participate all of the events he would have liked, but he would not rule out continuing his career in 2025. Nadal’s performance this year is insufficient to enlarge his palmarés, owing to the advent of emerging players such as Alcaraz and Sinner.
During the most recent episode of ‘NBC’s Today Show,’ 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer talked out about Rafa’s present situation: “I actually just spoke with him last week. He wanted to ask me something, so we talked, and I felt a little sad for him. That his summer did not go as expected due to a bad draw at the French Open. He also got a difficult draw at the Olympics. He was hoping, I believe, to receive a medal. But, overall, he is free to do anything he wants. I informed him that he has been one of the most legendary tennis players in our sport’s history. So I just hope he can go out on his terms and the way he wants to, but he’s a great guy, great career.”
A long-awaited decision
The former world number one is not in a hurry to make a decision and intends to carefully consider all of his possibilities. If Spain advances to the Davis Cup Finals, Rafa could be in Malaga to support his side. Nadal had the opportunity to play alongside his young compatriot Carlitos Alcaraz in the Paris Olympics.
“We’d never played together before, and it showed when we faced opponents with programmed movements and reaction times. Even though we lost in the quarterfinals, it was a great experience,” the Spaniard told ‘El Hormiguero’ in a recent interview. “I believe he is a little mentally exhausted because the calendar in an Olympic year is quite tight, but he will soon be back at his peak. It’s amazing to see another Spanish talent of similar caliber emerge after me. “Carlos will be one of the greatest tennis players in history,” he added. Rafa hoped to capture another Olympic medal, having won gold in singles in Beijing 2008 and doubles in Rio 2016. The draw was not favorable to him in Paris, forcing him to a premature elimination in singles and doubles.