Rafael Nadal‘s decision to retire came after many injuries, leaving him with no other option.
His retirement stirred up emotions across the tennis community, from rivals to sports stars and countless fans who adored his career.
Novak Djokovic promised he would attend Nadal’s last match at the Davis Cup Finals in November, where Nadal will play for Spain alongside Carlos Alcaraz.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rafael Nadal | 38 | 215 | 7 - 5 |
Some think Djokovic and Nadal aren’t close off-court, but Djokovic showed great respect when discussing Nadal’s retirement. Roger Federer also expressed gratitude, saying he hoped this day would never come because of what Nadal means to tennis.
Reactions from Players and Fans:
While top players like Federer received much attention for their reactions, even those ranked lower felt inspired by Nadal over the years. Nicolas Mahut shared his thoughts on Eurosport about how injuries forced Nadal’s hand in retiring. It was a double shock for France as Richard Gasquet announced his retirement too.
“I think it’s not really his decision, but his body made the decision for him,” Mahut said. “The end of Rafa was a little shock especially since it followed the announcement of Richard.”
Fans might feel sad yet understanding about this news.
Mahut mentioned that while fans knew this day would come due to Nadal’s limited play recently, accepting it is still hard when remembering his best moments. “We were prepared but despite that…it was a bit difficult,” he admitted.
“It’s going to be difficult even if we anticipated the post-Nadal,” Mahut continued. “We all hoped that he would go on for a year to say goodbye to Roland Garros.”
Millions like Mahut will miss seeing 38-year-old Nadal in action during his prime—a truly thrilling sight in tennis history.
Hopefully, at the Davis Cup Finals, he’ll receive a fitting farewell and maybe team up with Carlos Alcaraz in doubles play at Malaga.
What do you think about Rafael’s big goodbye?
