Former German tennis star reveals interesting reason behind Rafael Nadal’s decline and imminent retirement

Rafael Nadal played only one Grand Slam match in 2024, which resulted in a straight-set loss at Roland Garros.

Former German tennis star reveals interesting reason behind Rafael Nadal’s decline and imminent retirement

Rafael Nadal (via X)

Andrea Petkovic shared her thoughts on Rafael Nadal’s retirement, calling tennis “an addiction” for the Spanish legend. Now a tennis analyst, Petkovic observed that the sport became “hurtful” and “unhealthy” for Nadal as time went on.

The former World No.9 also mentioned a conversation with Boris Becker, who described how addictive top-level tennis can be. She believes Nadal faced a similar struggle, continuing to play despite the toll it took on his body.

Boris [Becker]… I just saw him for a lot of times now lately, and he said to me, ‘It’s like a drug. Tennis is like a drug.’ He said, ‘Winning titles is a drug, playing on Centre Court is a drug. I think with Rafa you could see when it turns into addiction, when it becomes hurtful for your life.

Andrea Petkovic said on The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast

Nadal ended his career at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals in Malaga, where he lost his final match to Botic van de Zandschulp. Spain’s quarter-final defeat to the Netherlands marked the end of his incredible journey.

I think with Rafa you could see when it turns into addiction, when it becomes hurtful for your life. You could tell that he was starting to neglect his being, like you could see that it was unhealthy, he was injured all the time, you could see it in his face. Rafa is not the most relaxed person in general.

Andrea Petkovic added

The 38-year-old’s last major win was at the 2022 French Open, where he claimed his 14th Roland Garros title. Nadal later revealed he needed pain-killing injections for his foot, which he described as “asleep” during matches. His career was also affected by Mueller-Weiss syndrome and other injuries in recent years.

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer feature in a new Louis Vuitton campaign

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are back together for Louis Vuitton’s “Core Values” campaign. The photos are taken by Annie Leibovitz. The first photo came out last May and showed them hiking in the Dolomites, Italy. Now, the new photo captures them resting, with Nadal flexing in a white T-shirt.

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal (via CNN)
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal (via CNN)

Louis Vuitton started the Core Values campaign in 2007 under CEO Pietro Beccari. It has featured many famous people over the years. Popular personalities like Pele, Maradona, Mikhail Gorbachev, and Angelina Jolie have appeared. After a break, the campaign returned in 2022 with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

The first Federer-Nadal photo was called “A Legendary Journey to the Top.” It showed the tennis legends hiking together. The latest image shifts the focus to a more relaxed moment, showing them as friends rather than rivals.

In the new picture, Federer has a Monogram Christopher backpack. Nadal carries a Monogram Eclipse bag. The campaign will appear in print ads and on Louis Vuitton’s social media pages.