Things haven’t been going according to the plans for Rafael Nadal this season. While he remained sidelined for almost the entire 2023 season, the Spaniard made a comeback earlier this year. However, it didn’t last long as Nadal suffered a muscle tear after playing in his comeback tournament. Further, at 37, time is running out for him on the tennis tour. Recently, he made a big revelation surrounding his retirement from the sport.

Over the past few months, there has been much talk surrounding Nadal’s retirement. Many tennis pundits believe Nadal will call time on his tennis career after the French Open 2024. However, Nadal himself has broken his silence regarding this matter.

When will Rafael Nadal retire?

Earlier this week, Nadal was interviewed by Juanma Castano in COPE’s El Partidazo. During the conversation, Nadal addressed the rumors surrounding his retirement. But it wasn’t something that Nadal fans would’ve liked to hear.

Nadal said, “This is going to be my last year but I don’t confirm it 100%. I will go day by day. I’ll say it before Roland Garros. I give myself a few months of caution.”

Further, he went on to add, “You know that things can happen, so I can’t define things months in advance after a year without competing.” (Translated using Google Translate)

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Not too long ago, Nadal’s uncle, Toni Nadal had also spoken about the former World Number One’s retirement plans. He was Nadal’s childhood coach and their professional relationship extended over years. Although Toni Nadal didn’t drop any timelines, his words were enough to ring in the rumors about Nadal’s retirement.

Toni Nadal on his nephew’s retirement

Earlier this year, the legendary coach appeared for an interview where he talked about Nadal’s plans to call an end to his career. Toni Nadal made a cryptic revelation surrounding the same, which fueled the rumors.

He said, “I think Rafael is going to go day by day, depending on how things are going, depending on how competitive it is, the results… Although he has said that this may be his last year, then we have to see how it goes.”

Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal’s comeback has been delayed and he has pulled out of the Qatar Open. It still remains to be seen when the fans will be able to catch a glimpse of Nadal in action.

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