Toni Nadal reveals the ‘real reason’ behind Rafael Nadal’s retirement
Rafael Nadal's uncle Toni Nadal reveals that his nephew retired from the sport because he had no other option.
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Toni Nadal, Rafael Nadal (Images via Rafa Nadal Academy, X)
The tennis world was left shocked at Rafael Nadal’s retirement announcement on Thursday (October 10). However, the Spaniard’s uncle, Toni Nadal, has finally revealed the real reason behind the 38-year-old decision to hang his racket.
Nadal announced his decision to retire from the sport after the Davis Cup Finals in November. The 22-time Grand Slam champion was added to the Spanish team after their quarterfinals qualification in September. The tournament will bring down the curtain on his illustrious career that saw him flourish on the clay court.
He was dubbed the ‘King of Clay’ after winning the Roland Garros for a record 14 times. He rose to become Roger Federer’s biggest challenger and also spent 209 weeks as World No. 1. However, Nadal has struggled with several injuries in the past two years. He barely played last year, and even when he returned this season, he majorly featured in clay events.
His last match was at the Roland Garros court at the Paris Olympics in August. He has since withdrawn from two events due to his injury. Toni Nadal revealed that Rafa’s body couldn’t allow him to compete despite trying his best.
He thinks he can’t anymore, that his body can’t anymore. He tried to come back this season because he thought he could have a good season on clay. He couldn’t do it this year and he must be convinced that it’s impossible for him to play many matches now. He decided to stop because he had no other options.
Toni Nadal said via an interview in the Bartoli Time show
Before the Davis Cup Finals, Nadal will compete in the Six Kings Slam in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He arrived for the exhibition tournament on Sunday (October 13).
Rafael Nadal’s uncle reveals his nephew didn’t hang his racket at the level he would have wanted
Rafael Nadal’s 2024 comeback didn’t go the way he expected. The 38-year-old got injured after just playing three matches at the Brisbane International in January. That forced him to withdraw from the Australian Open. He returned to the court during the clay season, first competing at the Barcelona Open.
However, he didn’t live up to his expectations despite his return. His best run of form was at the Nordea ATP 250 tournament. There he finished as runners-up. His uncle, Toni Nadal, has admitted that his nephew didn’t retire the way he would have liked.
Rafa would have liked another good season on clay and that means winning or at least performing at a good level. He has not retired as he would have liked. I always told him not to complain because life has treated us better than we expected.
Toni Nadal said via Marca
Nadal’s addition to the Spanish team ahead of the Davis Cup has been applauded by fans. The Spaniard has won the Cup five times in his career and most recently in 2019.
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Victor Okechukwu
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