Rafael Nadal has shed light on his decision to call it a day from his glorious career in 2024. Nadal played his swansong on the tour in 2024 when he represented Spain in the Davis Cup quarterfinals against the Netherlands. The leftie lost his final game against Botic van de Zandschulp in straight sets.
Nadal won a total of 22 Grand Slams, including 14 Roland Garros titles in his glittering career. He was struggling with injuries and fitness in the last couple of years and thus decided to hang his boots.
Nadal said on Universo Valdano as reported by Punto de Break: “I went through the process of respecting change. All changes in life, at the very least, should instil some respect in you regarding how you’ll react to a new reality, to a life that will be different from what you’re used to, not just after 20 years of professional career, but since you were 10 years old.
“Sports and tennis have been my life’s work. I was prepared because I exhausted all my options until the very end.
“Having exhausted every real possibility I had of continuing to compete at the level I would have liked gave me the conviction and peace of mind to end things peacefully, knowing it was the decision I had to make because there was nothing else. The tank was empty.”
The Spaniard admitted he tried pushing his body to the limits towards the fag end of his career but in the end, he was satisfied with his retirement decision.
“I don’t have any bad memories of that period,” Nadal told Valdano.
“Some people, understandably, thought I should have quit earlier, that the end didn’t make sense. For me, it did: you have to act in accordance with who you are. I acted accordingly. I tried to push myself to the limit until there really were none left. I loved what I was doing.
“I didn’t retire because I was tired of what I was doing or lacked the necessary motivation. I retired because my body couldn’t take any more. I was still happy doing what I was doing.
“During the surgery, they told me I had a chance of making a full recovery. I had to give myself a reasonable amount of time to find out.
“There came a point when I realized I could compete, but not at the level I needed to continue. I pushed my career to the limit, as far as I could.”
Nadal was known for giving his all on the court and also bounced back strongly after suffering multiple injuries.
