Rafael Nadal 'is so ready' to retire, says former world No 1 as legend is urged to 'go home, take the boat'
09/13/2024 01:56 AM
It is time for Rafael Nadal to enjoy the finer things in life away from tennis with former world No 1 Garbine Muguruza saying his “body, his mind, just everything” shows that he is ready to retire.
The final curtain on Nadal’s illustrious career is not too far away, but his 2024 farewell tour has not exactly gone according to plan as he has withdrawn from yet another high-profile tournament.
There was talk that the 22-time Grand Slam winner could retire after the Laver Cup, but that will not be the case as he has now confirmed that he will no longer represent Team Europe at the annual team event, saying “I need to do what's best for them and at this moment there are other players who can help the team deliver the win”.
He has also missed this year’s Australian Open due to injury while he opted not to play at Wimbledon and the US Open. However, he did compete at the Paris Olympics where he was not only part of the opening ceremony, but also played singles and doubles, losing early in both competitions.
It remains to be seen when Nadal will be in action again and when exactly he will retire but two-time Grand Slam winner Muguruza was asked by Tennis.com about the Spaniard’s future before his Laver Cup withdrawal and replied: “He's so ready. His body, his mind, just everything…
“It's time to also enjoy his kid! I see him smiling all the time with his baby. I'm like, 'Why are you on the court still? Go home, take the boat, go in Mallorca.' I think he gave everything he had.”
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The 38-year-old made his professional debut more than two decades ago and he has won all there is to win in tennis as he has completed the career Golden Slam (winning all four Grand Slams and singles gold at the Olympics), won a record 14 French Open trophies, topped the rankings for more than 200 weeks, won the Davis Cup for Spain and set numerous records along the way.
Nadal had announced last year that the 2024 season would likely be his last as a professional although he has made conflicting statements in recent months as after the Italian Open in May he refused to state it was his last time playing in Rome.
But according to Muguruza, the 2024 tennis campaign is very much his “last year”.
“It's hard to know him,” Muguruza said. “He's very shy.
“We talked a little bit at the Laureus Awards in Madrid earlier this year. (Muguruza is a Laureus Ambassador.) He said, 'This is my last year,' but he didn't share anything else. I don't want to ask him personal questions.”
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