‘My place is no longer there’ – Nadal says ‘I don’t miss’ tennis
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Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam champion who scooped a record 14 Roland-Garros titles, stepped away from the game in 2024 at the age of 38.
The Spaniard’s great rival, Roger Federer, played until he was 41, while Novak Djokovic continues to compete at the highest level, at the same age as Nadal when he retired.
Nadal has lifted the lid on his decision to leave the sport at a competitive level, and knows that it was the right call to make.
“The best thing is to be here [without] watching the images from the museum, these images that appear on television, and thinking maybe I should have tried [to carry on playing],” he explained.
“Today I can tell you that I don’t miss it, because I know that my place is no longer there [on the court].”
Nadal struggled with injury and had issues with his foot and abdomen towards the end of his career, as well as general muscle and mobility issues.
A look at some of Nadal’s greatest moments as tennis great bows out
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But it was a hip issue he sustained at the Australian Open in 2023 that he had a real struggle with trying to overcome.
Eventually, he decided to have surgery, missing almost the entirety of the campaign, with the goal of returning to the top level. But did he regret it?
“The last year and a half, knowing what happened afterwards… well, I would not have done it,” he admitted.
“But they [doctors] gave me the confidence that with an operation there would be options to return, to compete properly in the right conditions, and I did it.
“I did what I had to do to give myself a chance to continue. For what reason? Because I was happy doing what I was doing. The reality is that I was still competitive.”
Nadal’s final appearance at a Grand Slam came at the French Open in 2024, as he bid for his 15th crown. However, he was knocked out in the first round by Alexander Zverev.
Watch the best moments of Nadal’s moving tribute at Roland-Garros
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He went on to play at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris in an attempt to add an illustrious Olympic gold to his medal haul, and bring the curtain down on his glittering career in the French capital, where he has gained so much success.
Despite winning his first match against Marton Fucsovics, he bumped into the eventual winner and long-term rival Djokovic in the second round – a record 60th meeting between the pair – which he lost in straight sets.
Nadal confirmed his intention to retire ahead of his final appearance at the Davis Cup in November 2024, which he lost against Botic van de Zandschulp.
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