Rafael Nadal knows when he’ll retire, but he’s not telling anyone.
The 2024 Paris Olympics were a big deal for him. Playing at Roland Garros, where he won 14 times, many thought he’d shine there. He did win his first match, but then faced Novak Djokovic in the second round and lost.
Despite this, he still has some energy left . Winning another Grand Slam seems unlikely, yet he’s not ready to call it quits. Nadal believes he can still contribute to tennis and remains tight-lipped about retiring.
Naomi Broady told Sky Sports that Nadal has a retirement plan but keeps it secret. She compared him to Andy Murray, who only announced his retirement when fully ready. Broady doubts Nadal’s claim of uncertainty about his future.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rafael Nadal | 38 | 215 | 7 - 5 |
Retirement Plans:
“Nadal clearly has a plan in his head but he’s keeping his cards close to his chest,” said Broady. “As we saw with Sir Andy [Murray] these guys will only – and rightly so – step away when they feel completely ready.”
“I think Rafa still really enjoys his tennis,” she added. “They all just love the sport so much and if he can keep going then I think he would like to, which is why I think he didn’t announce his farewell at Roland Garros.”
Broady thinks Nadal is buying time, hoping to reach a level high enough for trophies again, which could change when he’ll retire.
“I think he was thinking ‘if there is any chance, any way I can get back here I will be back’. But it’s just going to be dependent on his body and unfortunately his body hasn’t been playing ball.”
Fans might wonder if he’ll have a grand celebration like Roger Federer did at the Laver Cup or maybe even at the Olympics on Philippe-Chatrier court playing for Spain.
His withdrawal from the US Open wasn’t promising either. There’s much uncertainty as Nadal hasn’t made anything clear yet; fans will just have to wait and see what happens next.
What do you think? Will Nadal surprise us all?
