Things have been looking bright for Rafael Nadal in the past few months in his quest to make a comeback to tennis. The 36-year-old Spaniard has been hitting the tennis courts for practice sessions and has progressed significantly since the early days of his injury crisis.
Recently Rafa announced his return to tennis in 2024 from his layoff and opened up about his thoughts on retirement. The Mallorcan had announced his decision to hang his boots earlier in the year and has now candidly discussed his plans to leave the sport for good.
Rafael Nadal drops retirement hints
Rafael Nadal has had a torrid year of injury-related withdrawals from major tennis tournaments. His game time has been affected due to his absence from tennis for over 10 months. That lack of practice had fans discussing the Spaniard’s retirement and began to debate a gradual close to his stellar career.
Rafa added fuel to the fire by saying that 2024 would probably be the last season of his career. After being officially announced as part of the Australian Open 2024 roster, Rafael Nadal took to social media to discuss his retirement plans.
“It’s a reality, there are many chances that it will be my last year without any doubt,” Nadal admitted. “There are chances that it may only be half a year, there are possibilities that it may be a full year, there are possibilities that we may not be able to reach all that.”
“I do not want to announce it [retirement] because in the end I do not know what can happen and I have to allow myself not to say one thing and then I can be a slave of what I have said.”
Fans will be devastated by Nadal’s statement and would curse the injuries that have caused this decision.
What injury did Nadal have?
During his second-round match against Mackenzie McDonald at the 2023 Australian Open, Rafael Nadal injured his psoas muscle in the second set when he chased a ball from the American. Rafa did not retire and instead played in pain and eventually succumbed to a straight-sets loss.
An MRI scan later revealed a crisis for the 22-time grand slam champion as he had a torn flexor that required intensive surgery and a prolonged rehabilitation process that would prove to be costly as he would eventually get sidelined from tennis for a year.
Nadal was seen bandaged and bravely smiling on the hospital bed in June and then began his rehabilitative journey by working out indoors at the gym. Gradually Nadal began exercising outdoors in harsher conditions and eventually started practicing tennis.
His intensity in his practice sessions slowly increased to much delight for fans. Rafa then posted a positive message on social media when he announced he would return to professional tennis in 2024 at the Australian Open.
The injury sustained will determine the Spaniard’s chances at winning grand slams. However, Nadal is a fighter and will strive to achieve perfection and glory no matter the constraints.
What are your opinions on Rafael Nadal’s candid disclosure of his retirement? Let us know in the comments section below.
