After watching Rafael Nadal play in Saudi Arabia, one of his opponents thinks he should call off his retirement plans.
At the Six Kings Slam event in Riyadh, the Spaniard participated in his penultimate competition. At the Davis Cup Finals next month, he is now scheduled to retire.
During their practice sessions, Holger Rune was amazed by Nadal’s skill level and made a joke about him not ending his career.
Three weeks have passed since Nadal made his retirement announcement. In front of a home crowd in Malaga, the 22-time Grand Slam champion will represent Spain in the Davis Cup, providing a fitting farewell.
After suffering multiple medical setbacks, the former world No. 1 has hardly played in the past two years. In a heartfelt video address posted on social media, he acknowledged that it was time to stop.
After that, Nadal traveled to Saudi Arabia to play in the Six Kings Slam alongside Rune, Daniil Medvedev, Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, and Carlos Alcaraz. Since announcing his imminent retirement, it was his first tournament.
There weren’t much expectations coming into the exhibition event because the 38-year-old hadn’t played a hard-court match since January and had decided to hang up. However, his energy on the practice court left Rune amazed.
When they first got to Riyadh, the two hit together. And even at this point in his career, Nadal’s commitment to his practice sessions served as motivation for the world No. 13.
“I think inspiration is very good,” Rune told Tennis Channel, describing how the best players inspired him. But when I practice, I’m just trying to be a beast, you know.
“I’m doing my best to push the boundaries, but players like Djokovic and Rafa are also important.”
When I was practicing with Rafa in Riyadh, I recall being shocked to learn that despite his near-retirement, his intensity remained high. “[He] Shouldn’t retire!” I thought.
It’s not just Rune who is opposed to Nadal hanging up his racket. In the third-place playoff match in Riyadh, the Spaniard had the opportunity to play longtime rival Djokovic one last time, and the 24-time Major champion pleaded with his opponent to stay in the game.
“It’s quite an emotional moment, an emotional day,” Djokovic remarked during the trophy presentation. Don’t quit tennis, man; stay a little while longer. We’ve been playing a lot of matches for a long time. Remain with us!
“I want to end by expressing my sincere gratitude to the tennis community as a whole for everything you have done. You have a remarkable legacy.