Rafael Nadal has hinted that he could still play beyond 2024, and according to Italian Open tournament director Paolo Lorenzi, there is growing belief that he will do so.
Nadal, who turns 38 next month, remains undecided about retirement. He has battled two separate hip injuries in the last 15 months and missed almost the whole of last season recovering from surgery.
When he joined the tour at the start of 2024 in Brisbane, he suffered another hip injury and sat on the treatment table for three months before resuming his season on clay in Barcelona.
What was particularly poignant about his struggles this season was his admission that getting out of a tournament healthy was his priority over winning matches. He also dismissed being labeled a tournament favorite because of his outstanding track record on clay.
When Nadal played in Madrid in late April, the overriding factor was that it was his last participation in a home tournament. In the aftermath of his defeat to Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round, he was honored with a touching tribute.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion would play in Rome in his last stop before Roland Garros. But he only lasted two rounds before he was sent packing by Hubert Hurkacz.
Thousands of Italian fans loudly applauded Nadal as he walked the footbridge at the Foro Italico. Many thought this was Nadal's Rome farewell until he rebuffed the idea in his post-match interview.
And now, retired ATP player Paolo Lorenzi, who serves as tournament director at the Italian Open, believes Nadal might still play in 2025. Still, much will depend on how his body holds for the remainder of the season, especially at Roland Garros.
"He never said that it would be his last presence here in Rome. I believe that in his head there is the desire to return in 2025 to Monte-Carlo and also to us. But it will depend on how the next tournaments go. He's a better Nadal than in Madrid, we'll see in Paris."
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