In his final social media video post detailing his comeback, Rafael Nadal shared the following insights:
“Of course, I have tought many times that it didn’t make sense to contine playing, that in the end there have been many years, many things, many hours of work in which I did not see the result. But I still think what I said in the last press conference, that I do not deserve to end my sport career in a press room.
“I would like to finish in a different way, and I have fought and kept the illusion for that to happen. With doubts, with bad moments, very bad or better moments, but I think I have had the right people around me, as I have always had throughout my career: family, team, friends… I think everyone has helped me decisively to be where I am today, which is with the option of returning to compete, and I think that also the desire of people who want to watch me play again has also an inmportant impact on my day to day.
“It is a rality, there are many chances that it will be my last year without any doubt. There are chances that it may only be half a year, there are possibilities it may be a full year, that we may not be able to reach all that… These are things right now I do not have the capacity to be able to answer, this is the truth.
“I am only in conditions to say that I return to compete, that I continue having in my head that the normal thing, or that there are many possibilities that it is my last year, and I am going to enjoy the tournaments in that way.
“I do not want to announce it because in the end I do not know what can happen and I have to give myself the opportunity not to say one thing and then I can be a slave of what I have said. I think it is going to be like that, but I can’t be 100% sure because in the end I have worked a lot to come back to compete and if suddenly things and my physique allows me to continue and enjoy what I do – why am I going to set a deadline? I think it makes no sense.”
Genius Rafa. We loved him & will love him each day that he plays or he retires. My gut feel says he will win 1 or 2 slams!! Amaaaaazing champion. Wonderful guy & incredible player !!
❤️❤️❤️
Rafael Nadal-You are the architect of your career. Do not enslave yourself to a schedule. You should feel free to listen to your body and how it reacts. Enjoy your time on court, playing freely, with the passion you have always shown. You decide
where and when-we are there! VAMOS❤️🔥
I feel FO result will be a deciding factor. He will mentally give up if he can’t win FO or not going deep
All Rafa Fans dearly want to see him return to the Tour and, most importantly, play free from pain. I think Rafa would like to compete on the clay for one final season. I pray that his body will allow him to do that. If he decides to retire after Paris we shall just have to accept it, with great sadness. There never will be another like Rafa though. He is unique. I have followed professional tennis for the best part of fifty years and can’t think of any other player that has achieved so much whilst remaining so grounded, so humble and so respectful of others. Yet such a fantastic competitor. So many injury setbacks too. Just think how many more titles he would have won but for the injuries. (I have hardly watched men’s tennis since Rafa last played and suspect that I will watch very few matches after he retires. The Men’s Tour is just not the same without him.) Vamos dearest Rafa.