Rafael Nadal can’t imagine himself following in Andy Murray’s footsteps after retirement
Rafael Nadal hung up his racket after Spain's 2-1 defeat to the Netherlands in the 2024 Davis Cup quarterfinals.
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Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal (Image via X/US Open Tennis, We Are Tennis)
Rafael Nadal has made it very clear that he has no intention to make his comeback on the tour as a coach. Nadal called time on his illustrious career at the Davis Cup after Spain failed to beat the Netherlands in the quarterfinals.
When the entire tennis world was discussing Nadal’s retirement, Novak Djokovic took all by surprise by posting a video to announce that he had added his longtime rival Andy Murray to his coaching team. Nadal too found it a bit shocking; for he doesn’t foresee himself traveling every now and then with a player right after retirement.
The Scot, before joining the Serb’s entourage, had retired at the Paris Olympics last year. Nadal won’t follow in Murray’s footsteps and become a coach too soon after hanging up the racket.
It’s difficult to imagine myself now doing this kind of thing…it’s not my moment, at all. I am in a different moment of my life and I don’t see myself traveling now with a player.
Rafael Nadal told CNN
Djokovic’s best result under Murray came at the Miami Open where the Serb reached the final, his first final since last year’s Shanghai Masters which he lost to World No.1 Jannik Sinner. Murray and Djokovic last worked together at the Madrid Open but the 24-time Grand Slam once again suffered a shock opening round exit.
He registered three consecutive defeats when Matteo Arnaldi beat him in Madrid. Prior to the Spanish capital, Nole lost the Miami Open final to Jakub Mensik and the Monte Carlo Masters opening round to Alejandro Tabilo. He then withdrew from the Italian Open, missing the third clay-court Masters 1000 of the season for the first time since making his debut in 2007.
Jannik Sinner ranks Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic
Jannik Sinner will soon be making his comeback to the tour after serving his three-month doping ban. Recently in an interview, the three-time Grand Slam champion was asked to rank the legendary Big 3: Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer based on their abilities.
I really like Rafa because he is a fighter, someone who keeps around him in a very, very beautiful, balanced way. If we look at the numbers, the best is Nole. But we have to be happy to live in this moment here because what the three of them have shown together for the last 15-20 years is crazy.
Jannik Sinner told TG1
Sinner knows less about Federer because he never faced the Swiss Maestro, who called time on his career at the 2022 Laver Cup. The 23-year-old locked horns with the 22-time Grand Slam champion three times, losing all the matches. All the three matches they played on clay, twice at Roland Garros and once at the Italian Open. They last met in 2021.
Against Djokovic, on the other hand, Sinner has tied his head-to-head record 4-4. The reigning Australian Open champion in fact clinched victories in their last three encounters.
They last faced each other in the Shanghai Masters final last year and would have scheduled another clash had Nole reached the Australian Open final this year. But he gave a walkover to World No.2 Alexander Zverev in the semifinal after losing the first set because of an injury. Sinner will be making his comeback at the Italian Open following which, he will be playing the Hamburg European Open before the French Open where he lost to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinal last year.
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