Nadal 'Not In A Hurry' To Make Retirement Decision After US Open Withdrawal
ATP
Rafael Nadal withdrew from the 2024 US Open, which many of his fans saw as a big step towards his retirement, but he's not in a rush to make any announcements regarding his future.
Only recently, a different member of the Big Four retired from professional tennis. Andy Murray's retirement saga lasted for a very long time, and during that time, he was often asked about it.
First, the Brit denied any impending retirement, but he then announced his retirement and retired from tennis at the Paris Olympics.
However, Nadal's case is much different. The Spaniard announced last year that this year would be his final on the ATP Tour. Not long after that announcement, news that that may not have been true surfaced, as the 22-time major winner changed the narrative.
His uncle speculated openly about that, and then even Nadal hinted that it might not be true after all. There was a lot of unknown, and not much was clear. The reason is simple: Nadal himself wasn't sure and flip-flopped between several choices.
The general idea for Nadal was that he still enjoys playing and competing and would continue to do so unless prevented otherwise. The equation's 'prevented otherwise' part is also generally very unclear.
Sometimes, he feels more capable than others, while other times he struggles to keep up. Even now, his retirement is not a sure thing. The way he played against Novak Djokovic at the Olympics showed a player who could still compete, but not seriously, with the best.
Does Nadal want to play tennis if he ends his runs in the third round or maybe the quarter-finals? It's a very good question. Nadal likely doesn't know himself, even though he's always maintained that he will play as long as he's competitive.
Still, being competitive is a vague term and means different things to different people. Some took his recent withdrawal from the 2024 US Open as a sign that he is nearing retirement, and the 38-year-old recently addressed it.
Nadal's only confirmed plan is to play at the upcoming Laver Cup in Berlin in September. He recently confirmed that to MARCA as well but also confirmed that he's in no rush to make any decision about his future. He will do that after the Laver Cup.
"I'm not in a hurry to make a decision about my future. What is certain is that I will be in the Laver Cup and then we will see."
At the moment, no one really knows if Nadal has any idea of what he wants to do. It is highly likely that he doesn't know, but if he does, he certainly has no intention of saying it publicly.
