After his defeat to Novak Djokovic at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Rafael Nadal mentioned that he needs more time to consider his retirement decision. This edition of the Games marks Nadal’s fourth and final participation, whereas Djokovic is competing in his fifth consecutive Olympics.
Former World No. 1 Rafael Nadal began his singles campaign at the Paris Olympics with a 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 win over Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics. This victory advanced him to the next round, setting up a match against Novak Djokovic. However, Nadal’s Olympic singles journey concluded in the second round with a 6-1, 6-4 defeat to Djokovic, in a match that lasted one hour and 44 minutes.
Despite his early exit from the singles competition, Rafael Nadal is still in the running for another Olympic medal in Paris. The two-time Olympic champion won gold in singles at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and in doubles at the 2016 Rio Olympics with Marc Lopez.
This year, the 22-time Grand Slam champion is competing in doubles with Carlos Alcaraz. The Spanish duo triumphed over the sixth-seeded Argentinian pair, Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni, in the first round. They will next face the Dutch team of Tallon Griekspoor and Wesley Koolhof in the second round.
After his second-round loss to Djokovic at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Nadal, who might be in his final season, discussed the topic of retirement. He shared that he isn’t focused on whether each match could be his last, stating that he needs more time to thoughtfully consider his future in tennis.
“I can’t be analyzing every day whether or not it can be my last match. It seems that you want to retire me every day, give me a little more time,” he said.
Rafael Nadal:
“I can’t be analyzing every day whether or not it can be my last match.
It seems that you want to retire me every day, give me a little more