Rafael Nadal hasn't retired yet, but his retirement is not that far away, and a former ATP player doesn't think his last year will be very successful.
The 37-year-old Spaniard played tennis in 2024, and he played some really good tennis, but he's not playing now. He got injured when he played in Australia, and Nadal also apparently got injured when he played at the Netflix Slam recently.
There is a trend here, and the odds will get even worse in a few months when he is a bit older. It's pretty clear that his retirement is close; we just don't know when exactly it will happen.
Many hope that Nadal goes all the way at Roland Garros and wins it one more time before hanging up his racket. However, former player John Lloyd doesn't think it will happen, as he told the Tennis Channel podcast 'Inside-In.'
"I do think we will get a decent send-off. I don't think he [Rafael Nadal] is gonna come in there, obviously knows he is not injured, but he gets himself into a decent shape. I see him winning some matches definitely, but I don't seem him winning it [French Open 2024]."
Skepticism shouldn't really surprise anybody because while he did look decent when he played, his body didn't seem to cooperate. To win a Grand Slam, a player needs to endure a lot, and very few actually believe that Nadal can do it.
"I don't think there's gonna be enough time to play the sort of tennis he needs to. But, I do think we will get a decent send-off from Rafa. I hope it's a really good one though."
On the other hand, it would be iconic if he did, but it doesn't look too promising given the way things have gone lately. Still, he managed to win the Roland Garros with a numb foot before, so nothing is impossible for the 22-time major winner.
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