Rafael Nadal is returning to tennis at the 2024 Brisbane International, but it could have never happened as he thought about retiring.
Rafael Nadal's comeback journey was a fascinating one for the Spaniard, even though the public didn't know most of it. We got updates here and there, but the situation was quite dire at times.
While the goal was always to get back and compete, there were moments when Nadal was unsure whether it would happen. It's normal because injuries are difficult to predict.
Comebacks are not predictable, as many things can happen. He wondered at times whether it was all worth it. After years and years of sacrifice and success, was it really worth it?
Of course I have thought many times that it did not make sense to continue playing that in the end, there have been many years, many things, many hours of work in which I did not see the result. But I still think what I said in the last press conference that I do not deserve to end my sports career in a press room.
Nadal simply felt that retiring in a press conference was very unlike him, and he's right. He's known as the bull, a player who fights until the end, which is how he won a few Grand Slams, thanks to his fighting spirit.
Just remember his iconic Australian Open win over Daniil Medvedev. That's typical Nadal, so he wanted to finish in that style.
I would like to finish in a different way, and I have fought and kept the illusion for that to happen. With doubts, with bad moments, and very bad or better moments, but I think I have had the right people around me, as I have always had throughout my career: family, team, and friends.
I think everyone has helped me decisively to be where I am today, which is with the option of returning to compete, and I think that also the diesire of the people who want to watch me play again has also an important impact on my day to day.
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