Rafael Nadal doesn’t want to reveal his future, despite his physical condition has improved in recent months. The former world number 1 feels better and is more competitive than at the beginning of the year, but the Paris Olympics and the Laver Cup could be the last events of his legendary career.
Despite being on the entry list of the US Open, the last Grand Slam of the season scheduled in New York in late August, the Spaniard admitted that his participation is uncertain. The 22-time Grand Slam champion wants to focus only on the Paris Olympics – which will take place on the red clay of the French Open – where he will compete in singles and doubles (alongside his young compatriot Carlos Alcaraz).
The Spanish veteran wanted to use 2024 as his last season to greet fans and major tournaments, but injuries plagued him again this year. After losing badly in Madrid and Rome, Rafa played a good match against Sascha Zverev at the French Open. Although he feels better physically, it is hard to imagine that Nadal can compete with the current top players for the most important titles. Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are the landmarks of the men’s tour at the moment and not even Novak Djokovic seems to be able to keep their rhythm.
Rafa is uncertain
Rafa Nadal doesn’t want to talk about his future right now: “I needed to book to have the chance to decide after that, that’s as simple as that. Nothing changed for me. I’m going to decide what’s going on after Olympics. By the way, I will be playing in the Laver Cup but I am, to be clear, and to not create false expectations, I am not sure at all to be in New York or not. No decision today and the decision will not happen before the end of Olympics.”
The Spanish ace is quite satisfied with his current level: “Great feelings. It’s been a while since I played on the tour, since Roland Garros, and having the opportunity to compete well against a great player like Cameron is a fantastic sensation. I think at some moments I played good tennis, at other moments I need to play a bit more aggressively, but that’s part of today’s journey. I haven’t competed much, so matches and victories like today’s help. Maintaining the rhythm throughout the match and keeping the pressure on the opponent throughout the encounter is something I need to improve, as I haven’t been playing enough.”
The 22-time Grand Slam champion will be one of the most anticipated athletes at the Paris Olympics. Rafa has already won the gold medal in singles in Beijing 2008 and the gold medal in doubles in Rio 2016 together with his compatriot Marc Lopez. Nadal could not play any tournament with Carlos Alcaraz, but the two champions should be able to find the right chemistry in a short time.
For many years there has been discussion about who the GOAT (Greatest of all time) is between Federer, Nadal and Djokovic. In a recent interview with SportKlub, Spanish ace Pablo Carreno Busta opened up on the GOAT debate: “Novak earned the right to that title because he won the most titles, the most Slams… The only thing he lacks is the Olympic gold – he already has a medal – and I’m sure he will rush for it this year. All three are incredible, there is always that discussion, all three are, but Novak is the best in terms of titles. Everything else is a matter of taste – you know what they say, there’s no arguing about tastes and colours.”
The Big 3 made history
Meanwhile, the well-known sports channel ESPN has compiled the list of the 100 best athletes of the century. In this list appear six tennis players. Serena Williams is second behind swimmer Michael Phelps, while Roger Federer is sixth. Djokovic and Nadal are out of the Top 10, respectively in 11th and 12th position.
The other two players are Andy Murray – who is number 80 – and Venus Williams who occupies position number 86. The Big 3 have contributed a lot to the spread of tennis in every corner of the world. Their rivalry electrified the fans and increased the sponsors who invested in tennis. Federer retired two years ago due to a knee injury, while Nadal and Djokovic seem at the end of their careers. During the post-Wimbledon press conference, Nole confessed to feeling inferior to Alcaraz and Sinner at this time. The Serbian has not won a title yet this year and has not beaten any Top 10.