Today is a sad day for the entire tennis world. While it was imminent, Rafael Nadal finally broke his silence regarding his retirement. The Spaniard revealed that he will call time on his illustrious career after the end of this season. He will represent his country in the Davis Cup Finals, which would be his last act in professional tennis as a player. Nadal has been away from tennis for quite some time now due to injuries, and his retirement update left the entire tennis community saddened. The likes of Coco Gauff and Ons Jabeur joined a host of WTA stars who paid tribute to one of the sport’s best players.
Social media was abuzz as soon as Nadal broke the news about his retirement. American sensation Coco Gauff took to Instagram and commented on Nadal’s retirement post, saying, “You are amazing! It’s been so incredible to witness your greatness and work ethic and be able to learn from it. Wishing you all the best in the next chapter.” While Gauff was rising in the WTA circuit, Nadal was in his prime, and the American star looked up to him for greatness.
Further, Ons Jabeur was also left saddened by the news about Nadal calling an end to his career after this season. She shared Nadal’s retirement post on her Instagram story and wrote, “Thank you for inspiring me and all of us. You will be missed,” along with tearful face emojis. Additionally, the likes of Paula Badosa and Katie Boulter were also left heartbroken as Nadal bids adieu to tennis. The latter even wrote, “Nope, I/we refuse this application to retire,” as she didn’t want the Spanish legend to retire.
This year, Nadal has played in just a few tournaments. Among the notable ones were the French Open and the Paris Olympics, where he lost in the first and second rounds, respectively. His last match was in Paris against Novak Djokovic, where he went down tamely against the eventual gold medalist in straight sets.
Nonetheless, Nadal is hoping for one last laugh before he retires. The Spaniard has already set his eyes on the Davis Cup Finals in his home country.
Rafael Nadal looks more excited than ever for the last dance
Earlier this year, Spain qualified for the Davis Cup Finals to be played in Malaga from 19-21 November. Nadal will join his compatriot, Carlos Alcaraz, as he bids to win a 5th Davis Cup title. Nadal’s previous wins in the tournament have been in 2004, 2009, 2011, and 2019. Playing in his own backyard will prove to be a major boost to him, getting support from numerous fans inside the stadium. As a result, Nadal is confident about a good show in the tournament.
He said, “I am very excited that my last tournament will be the final of the Davis Cup and representing my country. I think I’ve come full circle since one of my first great joys as a professional tennis player was the Davis Cup final in Sevilla in 2004. I feel super, super lucky for all the things I’ve been able to experience. I want to thank the entire tennis industry.”
Earlier, Nadal revealed that frequent injury setbacks took a toll on him, and he eventually felt that the time was right for him to hang his boots. However, we haven’t seen the back of him yet, and we expect Nadal’s last dance to be one of the most memorable moments of his career.
