Rafael Nadal’s final Olympic campaign concluded with a heartbreaking quarterfinal loss in men’s doubles alongside Carlos Alcaraz. The 22-time Grand Slam champion has expressed his intention to spend time with his family before making a decision about his retirement.
Despite his crushing loss to Novak Djokovic in the singles event, Nadal remained hopeful of clinching a second doubles gold in Paris. However, the American duo of Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek proved too strong for the 38-year-old and Alcaraz, securing a dominant 6-2, 6-4 victory over the Spanish pair.
Rafael Nadal bid a poignant farewell to the passionate crowd at Court Philippe-Chatrier after what could be his final appearance at Roland Garros. However, the former World No. 1 refrained from confirming any plans for his retirement.
Speaking to the media after the loss, the 38-year-old revealed that he will announce his plans once he determines his next step. However, he emphasized that his immediate priority is to relax with his family following his “hard” but “beautiful” return to tennis.
“In that sense, I am a fairly calm person and I need my time. When I know what my next step is, I will let you know, but right now my next step is to go back home, spend time with my family, and relax,” Nadal said (via Punto de Break).
“These have been exciting months, because I have started playing tennis again; they have also been hard, because I have gone through many difficult moments, disappointments, and also beautiful moments… now I have to manage everything, analyse it well and see how I feel,” he added.
With his goal of competing at the Olympics now over, Nadal reiterated his desire to “disconnect” with his loved ones before deciding on his future.
“My future as a professional is affected by the desire and the feeling that I have when I have to make the decision. I had set the Olympics as a goal since the beginning of the year and this cycle has ended. Now I will return home, to disconnect, and when I have decided what my next step is, whether with a racket in my hand or without, I will let you know,” he said.
The Spaniard also admitted that if he finds himself lacking the motivation, desire or strength to extend his career, he will retire from the sport.
“If I don’t have the desire, strength, or motivation to continue, I will hang up my racket,” he said.
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