Veronika Kudermetova spoke on Rafael Nadal leaving tennis, lauding the example the Spaniard set for others. The 38-year-old bade farewell to the sport at the Davis Cup Finals.
Nadal played the last match of his career against Botic van de Zandschulp, which was the opening match of the quarterfinal tie between Spain and Netherlands. The 22-time Grand Slam champion ended his illustrious tennis chapter with a 4-6, 4-6 defeat.
In a recent interview with Russian publication Championat, Kudermetova spoke about the Spaniard’s retirement, which she called sad.
“I read the news about how the farewell ceremony went. It’s sad, of course, that such legends leave the sport. Nadal was an example for us all, not only in sports, in tennis, but also as a person with a capital P. It’s sad that we and the new generation of tennis players will no longer be able to see him play on the court. It’s sad when such worthy people leave the sport!” the Russian said.
Veronika Kudermetova had a disappointing 2024 season, as she won just 16 out of 41 singles matches. The Russian’s best performance was reaching the semifinals of the Korea Open and she also made it to the last eight of the Credit One Open in Charleston.
Kudermetova’s singles struggles in 2024 saw her suffer a massive drop to 76th in the WTA rankings. She fared much better in doubles with partner Chan Hao-ching, winning the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. The duo also reached the final of the China Open, the US Open semifinals, and most recently, the last four at the WTA Finals in Riyadh, among other achievements.
