Hey there, fellow tennis enthusiasts It’s your girl Mia Johnson-Carter here, living the dream in Miami. I’m super excited to share some awesome news with you all about Rafael Nadal’s latest journey in tennis. As we all know, Rafa is in the last part of his legendary career, and fans are hoping he will achieve another great success before he says goodbye to professional tennis.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion has had a bit of a tough year, mostly due to some physical problems that have tormented him in recent months. Despite this, he’s been working hard and trying to play in tournaments where he has a better chance of getting good results. However, things didn’t quite go as planned at the French Open and the 2024 Paris Olympics. The draw wasn’t particularly favorable for him, but the level of play expressed by Rafa was far from what one would expect from a legend of his caliber.
Rafael Nadal has resumed practicing in his academy in view of the ‘Six Kings Slam’ in Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, the champion from Manacor has been called up by Spanish captain David Ferrer for the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga, which will be played on the indoor hard court in November. Many people wonder if Nadal will actually be ready to play that event, maybe even in doubles with 4-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz. The two champions have already joined forces at the Paris Olympics but were defeated by Ram and Krajicek in the quarterfinals.
According to some insiders, the Davis Cup Finals could be Rafa’s last official event before retirement. At present, it seems very unlikely that the Spaniard will decide to play next year. In a recent interview with YouTube channel ‘Sala de Jugadores’, Ferrer spoke about the former World No.1: “I know Rafa is an honest person and that if he steps on the court, he will give his 100%. I’m aware of his competitive capabilities; the issue he is facing is that physically he can’t sustain the level for long periods, but in a single match, he can be unbeatable.”
Zizou Bergs, an ATP ace, recently opened up on facing Nadal in Rome this year: “You come on court and you find his forehand, his backhand. You could say, okay, just avoid a little bit that forehand because it’s really heavy and he will drag it into your backhand, which obviously any double-handed player doesn’t really like. He can play it so heavy as well. Those are two aspects in the rally, which is relatively tough to compete with.”
Rafa works hard to maintain his high level of play despite physical challenges. His game is very tough, with such high spin balls that it’s brutal to play against him. His intensity can give him an edge over opponents.
Rafa does not want to announce a final decision on his future in too much haste. Although the results have not been brilliant this year, the former world number 1 wants to wait for the right time before issuing a final verdict on his future.