Rafael Nadal explains decision to retire, says he doesn’t want to keep going knowing he can’t be competitive enough at top level

Veteran Rafael Nadal has explained his decision to call it a day on his glorious career. The Spaniard said he doesn’t want to keep going on the tour despite being aware that he can’t be competitive enough at the elite level.

Nadal has struggled with injuries in the last couple of years and hasn’t been able to bring his best to the court due to fitness issues. Ergo, the Davis Cup finals will be swansong on the tour and he will certainly want to finish on a high.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion has had an amazing career and he is satisfied with everything he has achieved.

“It’s about the things that I went through, and, I mean, with the surgery last year, and I am not going to add the rest of the things that I had, but a few ones, make me feel that I cannot be enough competitive, and I am not able to enjoy my daily basis the way that I need to be competitive at the highest level,” Nadal said in a news conference.

“So at the end of the day, all relate to the question of myself is about, OK, I can hold for one more year, but why? To say goodbye in every single tournament, I don’t have the ego to need that.

“So at the end is about a feeling that I have been thinking for a long time. For me, today don’t make sense or to keep going knowing that I don’t have the real chance to be competitive the way that I like to be competitive, because my body is not able to give me the possibility to do that very often.”

Nadal added his sole focus will be to help Spain beat the Netherlands in the Davis Cup quarterfinals in Malaga and not think too much about his retirement.

“If I’m on the court I hope to control my emotions. I’m not here to retire, I’m here to help the team win,” Nadal told a news conference.

“It’s my last week in a team competition and the most important thing is to help the team. Emotions will come at the end. Before and after I’ll be focused on what I have to do.”

Nadal is always known to give 120% and when he steps on the court for the one final time, fans will expect nothing less from the veteran Spaniard.