Quotes from Rafa presser: “my intention is that next year will be my last year."

zvelf

Hall of Fame
They may be.. But who knows. The grass field continues to be pathetic and Nadal has done pretty well for himself there the last few years. I dont think Nadal is gonna take it easy next year. Last sprint to the finish line, he'll be in it a few times to steal something. He won't go out like a chump. Thats not Nadal's mindset.

I didn't say Nadal would take it easy, but he has a near-zero chance of winning Wimbledon at age 38.
 

MeatTornado

Talk Tennis Guru
There's a danger that when he stops practicing for months, that he could lose all the muscle memory, so he needs to be careful of that happening.
Only if he's trying to make a serious run at winning some of these events, which it doesn't sound like he is.

He'll still have more than enough muscle memory after only a year away to compete at a respectable level so long as his body allows him to make it through the matches.
 

Federev

G.O.A.T.
Only if he's trying to make a serious run at winning some of these events, which it doesn't sound like he is.

He'll still have more than enough muscle memory after only a year away to compete at a respectable level so long as his body allows him to make it through the matches.
Actually it sounds like fighting for titles is exactly what he’s going to try to do - and why he’s stopping now.

He said in another place in the presser - he doesn’t want it to be some sad goodbye tour but a real run. And here he says this:

“I am not irrational person, but I am not negative either - I’ll try to be competitive next year, to fight for titles. To give myself an opportunity."

Does not sound ceremonial or sentimental.
 

zvelf

Hall of Fame
Why you say that? He'll have plenty of time to recoup for the next year. Djokovic is old/injured prone himself so his strangehold on Wimbledon isn't what it once was.
Because Nadal will be 38. No one in the history of tennis has won a major at that age. If Djokovic is old/injury prone for Wimby 2024, then Nadal is doubly so.
 

Red Rick

Bionic Poster
My best guess is his return will look like Federer's 2022 Wimbledon. Reduced schedule, few clay tournaments. Roland Garros and maybe Olympics.
 

Chopin

Hall of Fame
I won't count Nadal completely out of the game because he's Rafa and clearly he wants to end the game on court. It's not inconceivable that we'll see him back on the court for one last season. At the same time, it's going to be hard to come back because:

1) He's going to have to take some time off (maybe the whole year?).

2) Even if he gets healthier, he has to stay that way for at least a short period of time.

3) Coming back from that amount of time off is hard at that age.

4) Realistically, Nadal is not going to come back if he's going to be back in the way Murray came back, where he's playing challengers. I respect Murray for what he's doing though.

I'd like to see Nadal play a few more matches. I won't love to see him injured and struggling out there like we saw Federer in his last Wimbledon though.
 

Chopin

Hall of Fame
I didn't say Nadal would take it easy, but he has a near-zero chance of winning Wimbledon at age 38.

Nadal is never going to win Wimbledon again. There are way too many players who could beat him there even if he was able to turn back the clock a few years. He could lose to almost anyone during the first week. Given his age and health, there's no chance.
 
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Deleted member 798069

Guest
Sounds so much like stuff in Federer’s letter.
Sounds like someone who'll still be playing 2025 and 2026.
He intends so retire in 2024, but after winning another couple of slams and the Olympics, no chance of retiring.
 
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