Rafael Nadal's tennis career is coming to an end but it won't happen this year as many feared ahead of his press conference.
In the press conference held at his academy, Nadal discussed his plans for the future. The news was a double-edged sword as he announced his decision not to participate in the 2023 Roland Garros, a tournament synonymous with his name, and revealed his plan to most likely conclude his professional career after the 2024 season.
However, he affirmed that this decision didn't signal a retirement but the beginning of a farewell tour. And that's something that made fans all around the world happy as some were scared that the press conference may be held to announce the retirement.
But Nadal himself doesn't think that he deserves to retire in a press conference. He wants to attend every tournament at least once more and he will have a chance to do that in 2024. The heart of a champion was apparent in his words.
"I don't like the word but I feel strong enough to say it: I don't think I deserve to end like this. I’ve worked hard enough throughout my career for my end not to be in a press conference."
Nadal's conviction reflects his unyielding spirit and a desire to bow out on his terms. The Spaniard, renowned for his relentless work ethic, set his eyes on making his final season "something special." He is not just bidding goodbye but aiming to compete at the highest level, perhaps proving one last time that he's one of the sport's greatest.
"After that you never know what can happen. I’m going to try to make my last year not just a party, I'm going to try to compete at the highest level, give myself the option to try to compete and win tournaments on this clay tour. The reality is that we'll have to wait for that."
Nadal also emphasized that his retirement was not a tragedy but a natural progression of life. He is aware that his career had to come to an end once and called it just 'one of all these endings'.
"The first thing you do is not talk, you listen to yourself and you understand what is happening. You have to accept and go through a process of honesty with yourself. But decisions are not dramatic, everything has a beginning and an end, unfortunately. I am just one more of all these endings of all the people who have been able to stand out in any field of life."
He wants his last year on the tour to be marked by not just a sense of nostalgia but a showcase of competitive tennis. And to him, it includes aiming for victories on his beloved clay surface and the prospect of representing Spain in the Olympics in Paris, France.
"My idea is that this last effort is worth leaving everything so that the last year will be something special. My tennis and above all my body will tell me what will happen."
The 36-year-old also said that he's ready for his life post-tennis. He will start another stage of his life, and as a new father, it will be surely a happy stage of his life, filled with joy and excitement.
"From then on I will start another stage, which will be different. But it doesn't have to be any less happy. I have to take things naturally. I have plans for the next few months that I haven't made in the last 20 years."
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