Nadal is 100% ready to retire BUT...

[Mustard]

Retirement is part of the career, and sometimes the most memorable (Sampras, Agassi). Going out on a bagel at Wimbledon is just part of the beautiful, inspired package that is Roger Federer's career.

Agassi lost to Benjamin Becker at the 2006 US Open, which stopped the hyped potential next match against Roddick.

 

[Holmes]

Agassi lost to Benjamin Becker at the 2006 US Open, which stopped the hyped potential next match against Roddick.

Not a bagel, and his speech was touching and memorable.

 

[TMF]

Wow.

Typical Holmes(aka Herald)

 

[DSH]

Lol comeback here when your idol plays a slam QF at 40 years. Then we will see.

Nadal was straight setted by Steve darcis at his peak in 1st round. That is more embarrassing than Fed getting bageled at 40 with career ending injury.

What a BS!
Nadal, after playing for the last time in his career in all 5 clay-court finals, including a tremendous effort at Roland Garros, he arrived exhausted at Wimbledon (which at the time was only two weeks off between the French Open and Wimbledon) which did not allow him to show a good level there.
If you saw the match against the Belgian, you will remember that he was limping for a good part of that match.
It is true that it is not an excuse but in reality it was not a good decision to have gone there after such an effort in the clay season in the year of his return.
But on the other hand, the early elimination in that tournament allowed him to crown his best level in the hard court season in the North American summer.
He was the last player to win Canada, Cincinnati and the US Open in the same season.

 

[hoodjem]

... Fed's retirement just happened and is too fresh on people's minds.

Nadal is slightly better at hiding it than Djokovic, but Nadal definitely wants all the attention on him when he waves goodbye. He knows if he retired now, people would forget about it fast since Fed is still on everyone's minds.

Fed had the luxury of retiring anywhere he wanted -- London, Basel, the USA, etc -- and he would get a standing ovation wherever he chose.

Nadal unfortunately HAS to retire at a tournament in Spain. And likewise Djokovic in Serbia. If they retire anywhere else, they'll feel like they won't get the attention they think they deserve.

This is why Nadal is delaying his retirement. He's taking a massive gamble with this decision though -- he knows the longer he delays his retirement, the more likely he'll be losing to more and more mugs on the tennis court. But he made this choice to try to get more attention for his retirement ceremony.

Mostly hogwash!