Rafael Nadal left the whole tennis world grieving on Thursday after he announced his withdrawal from the French Open. The Spaniard will miss the clay-court Major for the first time since making his debut in 2005.
The last couple of years has been saddening for tennis fans as they had to witness the epilogue of the ‘Big 3’. Last year in September at the Laver Cup, Roger Federer graced the tennis court for one last time. He teamed up with his friend and one of the biggest on-court rivals, Rafael Nadal to play his last match.
This year’s Roland-Garros will be the first since 1998 without Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal 💔 pic.twitter.com/ltAmLRxHXA
— Eurosport (@eurosport) May 18, 2023
Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer always shared a great bond filled with love. The two squared off for a total of 40 times in their professional careers and every time, they gave the fans superlative delight.
While talking to Trevor Noah in an episode of The Daily Show, the Swiss Maestro revealed that he called Nadal before the tournament to ask him if he was available for a doubles match.
“My hope was I could play doubles with Rafa. So I called him up after the US Open. It was a very emotional phone call because it was one of the first times I told somebody outside of my team and my family,” Federer said.
The ‘King of Clay’ wasn’t sure if he would make it to London because he was awaiting the birth of his first child but he promised that he’ll be present at the Swiss’ farewell match.
“I would love you to be at the Laver Cup and play maybe one last double with me. It would be amazing. Unfortunately, my knee is not good anymore and I think, it’s the end, you know? And he is like, ‘Okay, oh my god, okay, yeah I will be there whatever it takes.” Federer concluded.
As the match was reaching its conclusion, the ambiance at the O2 Arena was getting heavy to bear for all the tennis players. Thus, as the match ended, the 20-time Grand Slam winner announced his retirement from the sport despite hinting at a possible return to his favorite Major, Wimbledon.
Is Rafael Nadal also standing on the verge of Retirement?
Rafael Nadal played his last professional match in the 2nd Round of the Australian Open, where he lost against Mackenzie McDonald following a gruesome hip injury. Since then, the Spaniard has been utterly sidelined and he had to miss the whole clay season.
Fans were expecting him to make his much-awaited return at the Roland Garros in May, however, the ‘King of Clay’ has announced that he won’t be participating in the clay-court Major for the first time since making his debut 18 years ago.
🗣️ Rafael Nadal with a message from Majorca 🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/o3Xt8NW76X
— Eurosport (@eurosport) May 18, 2023
“My idea is to retire next year and play and enjoy the most important tournaments of my career. It could be a goal to reach the Davis Cup finals at the end of the year. I’m not going to set a return date. I’ll come back when I feel ready to start again.”
Thus, Nadal has already stated that 2024 will be the year when he’ll announce his retirement. However, the Spaniard with surely forward to grasping a handful of titles before he bids his final goodbye to the world of tennis.