With rumors mounting that Rafael Nadal will retire this year, let’s explore some of the possible retirement options for Nadal.
Rafael Nadal is closer to retiring from tennis than winning a Grand Slam. That’s been true for a while, and that’s why many people are speculating about how and when it might happen. It shouldn’t be surprising, because we saw that recently with Andy Murray.
We knew for some time that he was approaching retirement and although he refused to talk about it, everyone knew it was coming. Then he finally announced it and the talks died down because there was no reason to speculate anymore. That’s the phase we’re in now with Nadal because we know it’s coming but we don’t know when and where it’s going to happen.
The whole issue is a bit complicated because Nadal has taken several positions on it. Originally, he announced that he would retire at the end of 2024. Since then, the Spaniard has raised the possibility a few times that he will continue after 2024, but he has never actually confirmed it.
He always claims he doesn’t know yet, which is true. He probably doesn’t know. Part of that might be that he’s hoping his body will feel better, which would allow him to return to his previous levels. Part of that might also be that he knows when it will happen, but doesn’t want to say yet. We won’t know until he tells us.
But that doesn’t stop people from speculating. When he played this year, his level was OK at best. If you’re Rafael Nadal and your goal is to play competitive tennis, as he has been for most of his career, that’s not really enough. That’s not what you work hard for every day. That’s not why you’re continuing your career at the age of 38. The wins in Bastad and the victory over Marton Fucsovics at Roland Garros were solid, but that’s not why he returned to tennis.
We know this because he had the chance to play against Novak Djokovic at the Olympics and it was not a pretty sight. He did improve in the second set but overall he was simply inferior to Djokovic who was on a completely different level. Nadal even admitted this after the match and said that Djokovic was better than him in every way. And that was the case and many saw this as the final nail in the coffin for Nadal’s hopes.
That’s why the retirement rumors have been so rampant ever since. There is some evidence to suggest that Nadal was so disappointed with his performance that he reconsidered everything. Many analysts and tennis fans felt that this match was likely the end for Nadal. It’s not that crazy, because he was playing on what he considers to be his best court stylistically against a direct competitor he wanted to challenge. Not being able to stay competitive in this match was a huge disappointment for Nadal.
Withdrawing from the US Open has only fueled the fire, because if Nadal’s words about still enjoying tennis were true, he would have probably played the US Open. While it’s not the best course for him, skipping it doesn’t make much sense if he really wants to keep playing. His next tournament will be the Laver Cup, and that raises the question of what his retirement might look like.
Could he withdraw from the Laver Cup?
Making Cup
An often-voiced idea this year has been a retirement at the Laver Cup. The premise is pretty simple: it’s the place where Roger Federer retired two years ago. A Rafael Nadal retirement at this event would certainly be an interesting parallel between the two. Roger Federer is someone who basically invented the Laver Cup, and he would probably be happy to see Nadal retire at this tournament. It would be a huge publicity boost for the event, pushing it further up the rankings.
Despite its exhibition format, it has managed to gain a pretty good place in the prestige rankings. The worst part is that its position in the calendar is quite close to the US Open, and the Davis Cup also takes place around that time. It would probably become even more popular if they could somehow move the event to a better place in the calendar.
In any case, Nadal has already confirmed his participation in the event. He was announced earlier this year and recently confirmed that he will indeed play in the Cup. Some have taken this as a small confirmation that he might just retire there. Who knows, maybe Roger Federer will retire for a doubles match with Nadal, creating an even bigger parallel between the two’s retirement ceremonies.
There are many possibilities, but those who believe Nadal will retire this year are certainly in favor of this option. It would be a really nice way to say goodbye to a legend, and maybe in 2-3 years Djokovic will follow suit with his own retirement. One can dream.
Saudi Arabian
One very unpopular idea that emerged this year was that Nadal might retire in Saudi Arabia. The premise here is again very simple: he would receive a large severance package if he chose that country as the place to retire from tennis. There are very few signs that this could happen, but it is not the craziest idea. Nadal is already the tennis ambassador to Saudi Arabia, having accepted the role earlier this year. As a result, he has faced a lot of hostility from tennis fans around the world, but as always, the outrage subsides with time.
The bottom line is that Nadal is not against dealing with Saudi Arabia, which is the first obstacle. The country has a problematic human rights record and, although things seem to be changing, it does not enjoy a particularly good reputation in most countries in the Western world. However, that has not stopped them from organizing a tournament called Six Kings in October this year, in which Nadal will play. Alongside him, Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinnner, Daniil Medvedev and Holger Rune will participate.
Many think that his retirement could come at this event, with a possible final against Novak Djokovic. Or maybe a doubles match with Djokovic? Who knows, but what is clear is that the Saudi government would be happy with the publicity, while both Djokovic and Nadal would be generously compensated for participating in such an event. As we have seen in golf, anything is possible.
Davis Cup
Another possible retreat could be the Davis Cup. For most tennis fans, this is the preferred option as Nadal hasn’t really played much in the Davis Cup recently. He brought Spain a trophy many years ago and playing for his country has always made him very proud.
What makes this option so attractive is the fact that the Davis Cup final will be played in Spain, so he would have the chance to retire in his home country, which is certainly a preferred method for most tennis players. There’s just something nice about doing it on home soil, and what could be better than wearing the national jersey and playing for your country?
Spain has not yet qualified for the Davis Cup finals, as the qualifying tournaments do not take place until next month, but it is widely expected that the country will be represented there. With Carlos Alcaraz potentially also playing, Spain could have a good chance of winning the tournament. If Nadal were to win another Davis Cup trophy for Spain, it would certainly make sense.
In a way, it would also be a poetic ending, because he could literally hand over the reins to Alcaraz, who many have chosen as his successor.
Other options
Aside from these three options, some have suggested that Nadal could wait for Roland Garros next year, as he said after his Olympic loss that he was not done with Roland Garros. It is the court where he has made the most tennis history, so it is certainly the first choice when considering which place would be best to say goodbye to tennis.
Madrid or Barcelona are other options, but the Spaniard has already said goodbye to them so it’s unlikely he’ll play there again. So these are some of the most popular theories about where he could potentially retire from the sport. They’re all interesting options that have evidence to back them up.
Overall, we’ll just have to wait and see. Maybe he retires this year, maybe not. Much like Andy Murray, he’s earned the right to do it the way he wants, even if that’s in Saudi Arabia. He’s given a lot to the sport and tennis fans can decide whether they appreciate his achievements or not. Either way, he will go down in history as a legend and one of the best players to ever hold a racket.
An analysis by James Lloyd
