Rafael Nadal may to retire at the end of this year, but that's not a final decision according to the Spanish legend.
Back when Nadal confirmed that he wouldn't play at the 2023 Roland Garros he also admitted that 2024 was going to be his final year. It seemed a bit of a premature call from the Spanaird, who had a lot of time to change his mind since.
The injury was a complicated one, and no one knew how recovery would go. As time expired, chatter about him possibly playing beyond 2024 emerged.
His uncle, Toni Nadal, even admitted as much in one of his frequent talks with the media. According to him, Nadal wanting to play beyond 2024 makes perfect sense if his comeback is successful.
Now we heard it from the man himself as he spoke to Marca in Las Vegas, where he lost to Carlos Alcaraz at the 2024 Netflix Slam. According to the man himself, the decision to retire this year is not final.
"I'm not saying goodbye because then I'd say I'm not playing anymore. This is an important point and I don't want to say it because I'm not 100% clear about it. In the last two years I haven't been able to play. I would like to say goodbye well, being competitive and enjoying myself on the court. Whether that can be or not, time will tell."
In Australia, Nadal looked very competitive until he got injured. If that's how he plays after not playing for over a year, then once he starts playing regularly, his chances should be high enough to continue.
Still, we'll have to wait and see what happens as it basically comes down to how healthy he is. That's not entirely under his control.
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