Rafa Nadal, on his future: “If it happens, I don’t want reproaches, because I didn’t say it”

Rafa Nadal apparently warned in May, in a press conference that paralyzed the sports world, that 2024 would be his last season in the elite, the end of his career. However, the Spaniard has tried to clarify for some time that although it is likely, he does not want to close the door on the continuation. The Manacoran tennis player returns to competition on Sunday with a first doubles match alongside Marc López in Brisbane to set a competitive tone ahead of his debut in Tuesday’s singles draw against Dominic Thiem, a match he should also qualify for. shape before the start of the Australian Open. Rafa doesn’t stress himself about results. He just wanted to enjoy himself again, slowly regain the sensations and see how far he could go. And without closing any possibilities. 2025? He didn’t even know. This was explained in the press conference before his doubles debut at the ATP250 in Brisbane.

“I can’t predict what will happen in the future, that’s why I always say that this is my last year, but not 100%. It is obvious that there is a high percentage chance that this will be my last fight. in Australia, but if I’m here next year… don’t blame me for anything. Don’t say, ‘You said this is your last time, your last season.’ Because I didn’t say.”he commented between last laughs.

“You don’t know what I will look like in six months, if my body will allow me to enjoy tennis like I did 20 years ago, if I will be competitive or not. I mean is feeling competitive enough to go out and play. on the court and feel that I can face anyone, not in the strict sense of winning Grand Slams,” added Rafa, as always, clear, clear, honest to everyone and to himself.

“I’m satisfied with the way I’m training. I didn’t have expectations before, especially at the beginning, which is logical because I haven’t competed in a long time and I haven’t had many weeks of training. At a good level too. It’s hard to predict what will happen. Things, competing are very different from training, but for now, I feel ready for the competition after seeing my last training sessions,” argued Nadal.

Compare your situation with Osaka

In addition, Rafa Nadal was also asked about comparing his return to Naomi Osaka, who returned to the courts in Brisbane after 15 months away from tennis after giving birth to her first daughter and after battling depression.

“Naomi and I’s situation is completely different because, as I understand it, she said that she lost her passion and love for tennis for a while. That’s something that never happened to me. I never lost motivation for tennis . Of course I thought about retiring during the recovery period, but I’m determined enough to accept that it’s going to be a painful and long process, but I want to give myself a chance to get back on the slopes. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I’m excited I’m back,” said Rafa.

Your recovery

“It’s a long story because it was developed in several phases. After what happened in Australia, we thought he would return in about eight weeks, the doctors were very positive. But when that time passed, I felt practically the same. The disappointment was that I was very tall and I saw that I had to give up the whole tour on clay which is why I gave a press conference where I announced that I would stop for a while,” he recalled about his injury before his break. . “I did not know, at that moment, that I had to undergo surgery. They told me that if I retired from tennis I would not need surgery, but to return to the courts, I would have to have that intervention. I did a right decision because I want to come back. to feel like a tennis player,” he concluded.