Rafa Nadal’s announcement has left the sport in shock after the Olympics.
The realisation Rafa Nadal may have played his final professional tennis match is now sinking in for fans after the Spaniard announced he has withdrawn from the US Open. Nadal was unable to secure a dream medal for Spain alongside Carlos Alcaraz in the Olympics doubles with the duo crashing out in the quarter-final.
Earlier in the tournament, Nadal was also defeated by eventual gold medal winner Novak Djokovic in the singles with the duo competing in the 60th match of their rivalry. The contest against Djokovic was an eye-opener for many fans with the Spaniard only able to match it in short intervals against the No.1 seed.
Last year, the 38-year-old had hinted the Olympics could be the final tournament of his illustrious tennis career as he mapped out his season. And speculation is now growing it was his last professional match after his latest announcement.
Nadal opted to skip the Australian Open as he prepared his body for Roland Garros. He then opted to skip Wimbledon as he prepared for the Paris Olympics on clay. The 38-year-old has been battling injury for the last few years and has struggled to maintain momentum on the tour.
And Nadal’s latest announcement is quickly dawning on tennis fans. “I will miss those electric and special night sessions in NYC at Ashe, but I don’t think I would be able to give my 100% this time,” Nadal wrote. “Thanks to all my US fans in particular. Will miss you all and will see you another time.
“My next event will be the Laver Cup in Berlin.” Nadal confirmed he would play at the Laver Cup, which has only increased speculation he could go out at the exhibition tournament in a similar style as Roger Federer. The image of the legendary duo crying together at the Swiss icon’s retirement will go down as one of the most memorable moments in the sport’s history.
Rafa Nadal coy on pending retirement
After the Olympics, Nadal was pressed on whether he would appear at the US Open. The Spaniard was not confident he could back-up, which only adds to the speculation the Olympics was his last official event.
“Looks like not. But I’m going to let you know soon,” he said. “For me, now, I can’t give you a clear answer. I need some time, but for me, (it) looks difficult.”
Nadal has battled injuries in recent years and hasn’t seen the success tennis fans are so accustomed to for the Spaniard after more than 20 years in the sport. Nadal’s recent injuries include hip surgery in 2023 and abdominal muscle issues in 2024 that have seen him play only a handful of matches across the past two seasons.
The US Open is Nadal’s second-most successful tournament having won it in 2010, 2013, 2017 and 2019. Unfortunately, Nadal has only played the final grand slam of the year once in the last five years.
