“No one should be telling him what to do,” John McEnroe hits back at critics telling Rafael Nadal to retire as it won’t ‘hurt his legacy’ if he played another year

McEnroe pointed out the fact that if the body gives out, no player wants to go onto the court.

“No one should be telling him what to do,” John McEnroe hits back at critics telling Rafael Nadal to retire as it won’t ‘hurt his legacy’ if he played another year

John McEnroe, Rafael Nadal (Images via Imago,

Rafael Nadal has entered the twilight of his career, and so Roland Garros was considered his last Grand Slam event. The King of Clay expressed his uncertainty over his comeback next year, but some of his critics argue that he needs to retire to protect his legacy.

John McEnroe urged Nadal’s critics to let him decide when he wants to bid adieu to the sport. The seven-time Grand Slam champion from America pointed out the fact that if the body gives out, no player wants to go onto the court. He believes Nadal, who brought tennis up to another level, still loves to play.

YouTube video
Rafa is a total class act, and because of his success, the way he is as a person, and what he brings to tennis, no one should be telling him what to do. I don't think it's going to hurt his legacy if he plays another year and doesn't do as well. He's one of the [top] two or three to me. You're looking at the three greatest players that ever lived, Rafa, Novak, and Roger. 
John McEnroe told Eurosport 

Nadal earlier hinted that he would take his retirement after this season, but after his Roland Garros exit, he said he is hoping to play in Paris again. 

FS Video

John McEnroe heaps praise on Rafael Nadal for his fight with injuries 

Last year, Rafael Nadal‘s injury he suffered during the Australian Open kept him out of competition for the rest of the year. He finally made a much-awaited return in the 2024 Brisbane International. 

Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal (Image via Imago)

Unfortunately, an abdominal muscle tear hampered his progress. After missing a few more hard-court tournaments, the 38-year-old participated in the Barcelona Open and went on to feature in the next clay-court events in Madrid and Rome. 

The 22-time Grand Slam champion then played Roland Garros, losing to Alexander Zverev in the first round to register his only fourth defeat at the clay-court Grand Slam event. John McEnroe praised the Spaniard for his love for the sport, which made him comeback in spite of multiple injuries.

That's a good thing. The fact that he still wants to do it, even though his body has made it really difficult the last two years, shows you how much he loves tennis, and that's an incredible thing to me.
John McEnroe said 

The former World No.1 from Spain is now ranked 275th in the ATP Rankings. He has a 7-4 win-loss record for the season. 

In case you missed!