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Rafael Nadal is someone who has been at the top for most of his career. The Spaniard has won slams almost every year since he climbed to the top. However, the King of Clay is not who he used to be. After an absence since the first slam of the year, he has fallen to rank 664. His ranking did not make fans sympathize with him as they hounded him to hang up the racket. 

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The King of Clay has steadily declined since he hasn’t played at all. He was out of the top 10 before the clay swing began earlier this year. But fans were more sympathetic to him back then. Now, the situation has turned on its head.

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Rafael Nadal hounded by fans to retire 

Rafa’s absence this year has been noticed by all tournaments. The 22-time grand slam champion has always managed to improve the state of a tournament, but due to his absence, he has suffered the consequences. His year-end ranking has been finalized, and he now sits at a surprising 664. He still has his protected ranking to help him in 2024, but fans of the sport did not relent as they hounded him to retire.

One fan named @mjpentakis outrightly said that it was time for him to retire. 

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A tennis follower was less cordial as they said that his time has to come to an end definitively: “He is finished”. Another tennis fan said that it was shameless for him to fall so low, and he is now at a point where he should call it quits.

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One fan of the Spaniard said that it might be curtains for them.

A fan account of Carlos Alcaraz said that they thought he had retired: “I thought he had retired.” Fans of the sport believe that Rafa should call it a day after falling to his lowest rank ever. But back when he fell out of the top 10 for the first time in years, they still had some hope left for the Spaniard.

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Fans on Rafa leaving the top 10

Before the clay season was in full swing, tennis fans had some hope that Rafa would return. Eventually, they received the news that for the first time after a whopping 934 weeks, the King of Clay had fallen out of the top 10. Watching the news, his fans were saddened, and emotions ran high as they could not believe their eyes.

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Read More: Perplexed Carlos Alcaraz Sings Rafael Nadal’s Tunes as He Cites Awkward Reason Behind ATP Finals Loss – ‘Don’t Know Why

Many fans were full of grief when they saw Rafa not at the top of tennis anymore. The Spaniard has always given his fans a great show. But his absence has seemingly made them forget the feats he has achieved. Now that he has achieved his lowest ranking, they are all out of sympathy for him.

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Watch This Story: Despite Horrific Failures, Serena Williams’ Ex-Coach Patrick Mouratoglou Spreads Hope on an End to Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal’s Dominance

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Written by

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Ripunjay Gaba

1,821 Articles

Ripunjay Gaba, a tennis enthusiast-turned-journalist at EssentiallySports, found his way from freelance sports journalism to the publishing house in ES. Here, his writing canvas encompasses the game specifics while finding poetic resonance in covering major sporting events. Ripunjay, a perpetual upgrader, uses avid reading to bring varied flavor to his Tennis reporting. From the Netflix Documentary Break Point to the various Tennis podcasts, his coverage stays diverse. Beyond the world of articles, he extends this commitment to physical well-being with regular workouts, infusing dynamism into both the narratives he crafts and the life he lives. In Ripunjay's world, every keystroke is a step closer to unraveling the essence of tennis.

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Ananya Giri

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