“He probably thinks he can’t play,” Roger Federer’s ex-coach Ivan Ljubicic expresses his surprise at Rafael Nadal’s retirement
Rafael Nadal recently announced that the Davis Cup finals next month in Malaga will be his last professional Tennis tournament.
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Rafael Nadal and Ivan Ljubicic (via Tennis Gazette/Tennis Majors)
Rafael Nadal’s retirement announcement via social media came as a shock to fans. But, after several days, the tennis community has begun to accept the fact that the 38-year-old will leave the sport for good. However, Roger Federer’s ex-coach Ivan Ljubicic has admitted that he was also surprised at the news.
Nadal has struggled for the past two years with injuries, which has forced him to be absent from several Grand Slam events. This season he attempted a comeback, but could only play one tournament before withdrawing from the Australian Open. He did fully return to the court during the clay season, but his results were far from expectations.
He last played a competitive match at the Paris Olympics, where he and his partner Carlos Alcaraz exited in the quarterfinals of the doubles. He withdrew from the US Open and Laver Cup stating he couldn’t give his best. He recently announced that he will play his final professional match at the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga.
Ivan Ljubicic is not new to this kind of situation. He was Roger Federer’s coach when he retired at the 2022 Laver Cup after undergoing three surgeries in 18 months. He revealed that when Nadal announced his retirement, he was surprised.
I’m surprised because I thought Roland-Garros was probably the good time, the most logical place to stop. But I don’t know what he feels or why he made that decision. I don’t think a player at that level – like I saw with Federer – retires because he doesn’t want to play tennis anymore. He retires because he probably thinks he can’t play at a level that’s acceptable to him. When the future is not clear, it’s not good to continue with that feeling.
Ivan Ljubicic said while attending the Festival dello Sport
Nadal was added to the Spanish Davis Cup team after their qualification to the final. He will bring his great experience to full display, having won the Cup five times in his career.
Rafael Nadal in high expectations of winning the Six Kings Slam
Rafael Nadal arrived in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for the Six Kings Slam on Monday (October 14). He earned a first-round bye in the exhibition tournament and will be on the court on Thursday (October 17). He will face Carlos Alcaraz for a place in the final.
This will be Nadal’s first competition since the Paris Olympics in August. Despite his absence for over two months, Nadal revealed that he has very high expectations.
I don’t know what will happen; it’s clear that all matches will be highly competitive because we are talking about the best players in the world. My expectations are not very high; I just want to be on the court, be part of the show, and have fans enjoy the entertainment.
Rafael Nadal said via Puntodebreak
Additionally, the prize money for the Kings Slam is mouth-watering. Each participant is guaranteed to receive $1.5 million as prize money, while the winner will take home $6 million.
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Victor Okechukwu
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