Nadal was all but certain that this would be his final year competing professionally on the ATP tour.
Rafa Nadal was all but certain that this would be his final season on the ATP professional circuit. After training for a few days and playing in Roland Garros for the first time in two years, the Spanish legend’s outlook changed. He had shown that he could play without restrictions, experience no physical issues, and once again compete against the world’s top players. Having won 14 titles in the French Open.
Despite losing to Alexander Zverev, Rafael Nadal used the match as proof that, at 38 years old, he is still capable of competing at the top level of tennis. This match against the world’s #4 player ended a planned farewell in Paris, and the Spanish tennis star has not yet stated when he will retire from competition, raising the prospect that he may play in 2025.
Following his match at Roland Garros against one of the top tennis players of the year, Patrick Mouratoglou, the French coach, is among those who think the Spaniard is still capable of winning big.
Rafael Nadal is training diligently for the Olympics.
Rafael Nadal will compete in the Bastad tournament to sharpen his competitive speed and is currently honing his clay skills in preparation for the 2024 Olympic Games.
“Everyone said Rafa was no longer ready to compete at this level and that this might be his final game, but all of these statements are completely false.
In contrast, I observed a player who is confident in his ability to compete and who is feeling well right now. Even though he lost in three sets, I believe that the match against Zverev helped him realize that he can still compete at the best level.
He was able to play pretty well considering the little amount of time he had to train and get ready, but he lost because he wasn’t consistent, which is typical during a phase of ups and downs, the French coach said “Tennis Majors.”
In a three-set encounter, 95% of the players would fall short against Rafa. He played against Zverev in the first round, which was unfortunate for him, but he would have prevailed if he had faced someone else.