Rafael Nadal has raised concerns that he may have already played his last professional match after addressing his chances of competing at the US Open.
Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz crashed out of the Olympics men’s doubles quarter-final on Wednesday night. The 38-year-old previously said he would give an update on his future and potential retirement plans after the Paris 2024 Games.
Once his campaign officially came to an end, Nadal sparked retirement questions with a worrying confession about his US Open plans.
“Looks like not but I’m gonna let you know soon,” Nadal said when asked if he would be heading State-side for the last Grand Slam tournament of the year. “For me, now, I can’t give you a clear answer, I need some time. But for me, looks difficult.”
The 22-time Grand Slam champion put himself on the US Open entry list as a formality to give himself time to make a decision on whether or not he will play, as athletes were required to sign up six weeks before the start date. While it looks like he will skip Flushing Meadows, Nadal couldn’t say whether he had played his last match on Stade Roland Garros, offering some hope that his career will continue.
Quizzed about whether it was the last time the fans could see him on Court Philippe-Chatrier, he replied: “Maybe. I think if that’s the last time, for me, it’s an unforgettable feeling and emotions. They give me the love and the support every single second that I have been on court.
“For me it’s super, super special to feel that in particular in this place so I can’t really thank enough all of them for giving me the feeling that I have inside myself and the emotions that they make me feel. So I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future but if that’s the last time I enjoyed it.”
Although Nadal said it would be “difficult” to compete in the US Open, he offered a brief but positive update on his body after playing several weeks in a row, having reached the final in Bastad earlier this month. “I’m good. I’m good,” he said.
While his future is unknown, it’s clear that Nadal has entered a different stage of his career as he explained that he was no longer playing for results. He continued: “I came here with the goal to give as much chance as possible to win a medal and I needed to play doubles and honestly at this stage of my career I play for feelings, I play for emotions more than results.
“And for me the emotion and the feeling to be on court with Carlos and the expectation that we created in Spain too and you see that playing doubles, full stadium every single time, amazing atmosphere, is something that I bring back home.
“I won enough in my career, I won much more than what I ever dreamed so for me it’s about enjoying different experience and for me, that’s another lifetime experience too, to share with Carlos – an amazing player that I think is going to be of course one of the best in history too. To share this moment for [the] Spanish team. So I enjoyed that, and that’s it.”
Nadal has already confirmed that he will definitely play the Laver Cup in September – a team exhibition tournament co-created by Roger Federer. Although the Olympics may not have been his last event, this marked his last Games as a professional athlete. A singles gold medallist in 2008 and a doubles champion in 2016, the Spaniard reflected on his Olympic career.
“I enjoyed every single moment, no? With more, less success. Honestly the feeling and the emotions that we live in an Olympic Games are difficult to compere with other events because here you feel part of something bigger than only a personal team. And that’s an amazing feeling. I feel so lucky that I have been able to win a gold in singles because, at the end, it’s the most difficult event to win because you have just a few chances in your career,” he said.
“That’s the truth and I was able to win in singles in Beijing on hard courts and I was able to win a doubles with one of my best friends, that’s something very special too. So I feel very lucky and I can’t complain. This time was not possible but that’s it. We tried.
“The Olympic Games are for me without a doubt the most important event in the world of sport and I enjoyed every single moment with the team, in the village, sharing with the rest of the sportspeople. I can’t complain, I feel so lucky that because of tennis I have been able to enjoy so many experiences in my life that I [would] never have the chance to enjoy without the sport.”