Rafael Nadal’s 2024 was not satisfactory and it will hardly be able to improve in the last months of the season. The French Open and the Paris Olympics were his big goals this year, and it must be admitted that the Spanish legend did not get the results he wanted. The 22-time Grand Slam champion has been training hard lately and his physical condition has improved, but his level of play is far from that of today’s top players.
The former world number 1 was not even favored by the draws, which have faced very dangerous opponents since the first rounds. At the French Open, Rafa had to surrender to a great Alexander Zverev who then reached the final losing against Carlos Alcaraz. At the Paris Olympics – where he was one of the last torchbearers during the opening ceremony – he was defeated by his eternal rival Novak Djokovic in the second round.
Nadal was hoping to win a medal in doubles at least with his young compatriot Alcaraz, but their run ended in the quarterfinals against experts Ram and Krajicek. After the Olympic tournament, Rafa said he would take some time to decide his future. At the moment, only his presence at the Laver Cup scheduled in Berlin at the end of this month is certain.
Rafa asks for patience
Despite his brave attempts, Nadal no longer seems competitive to win the major titles and his retirement may be announced soon. During the latest edition of Spanish show ‘El Hormiguero’, Rafa made a surprising revelation: “I don’t arm-wrestle anyone because I’m right-handed (in life), I have much less strength on the right and lack coordination on the left.”
He also discussed Jannik Sinner’s doping case: “I have a virtue or a defect, which is that I believe in the good faith of people. I know Sinner and I don’t think he wanted to dope. Justice is justice and I don’t think we have to like it only when it is resolved in the way we think. I believe in the bodies that have to make decisions and they make them based on what they believe is correct.
I trust that if he has not been sanctioned it is because those who have had to judge this case have clearly seen that what happened was not punishable. I don’t think they have judged him as innocent simply because he is the world number 1. Everyone’s opinion is respectable and mine is this.”
The 22-time Grand Slam champion could help Spain in the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga if his national team can qualify for the event. In a recent interview with Sky Sports Tennis, tennis legend Martina Navratilova opened up on Rafa’s future: “It depends on how much desire there is. If you’re just battling your body – you really want to play but it’s not letting you – then I would just give in. He has had an unbelievable career. A much longer career than we all thought he would have because of the physicality of his style. That foot has been bothering him for years. And, man, if I lived in Mallorca and had his lifestyle, his boat, I think I would hang it up.”
A tough decision
The former world number 1 has had several physical problems over the past two years and has not been able to play as he would have liked. His career seemed to be nearing its end as early as 2022, before the Spanish legend shocked everyone by winning the first two Majors of that season.
Although he has not achieved his goals, Nadal wants to decide his future well: “I am in a different phase than a few years ago. The decision was easy because I had been dealing with many physical issues. I set my sights on the Olympics and knew that after that, I would have to evaluate and make decisions. The change of surface and playing five sets made it easy to skip New York. Throughout this year, my goal was to give myself the chance to enjoy each day. I didn’t achieve what I would have liked, mainly because I wasn’t as healthy as I wanted after the injury from the first tournament. I think I reached a good level at the Olympics, which were my priority, but I had very bad luck with the draw. I don’t like being constantly asked about my retirement because when I’m sure, I will let you know what my decision is.”
The Spanish champion confirmed that he is continuing to practice every day and that no final decision has been made. We’ll see if Nadal can finish his career as he deserves.