Rafael Nadal has revealed he is unlikely to play the US Open as he dropped the strongest hint yet that his career could be coming to an end very soon.
Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz’s eye-catching men’s doubles campaign at the Olympics came to an end with a 6-2, 6-4 loss to fourth-seeded American pair of Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram.
The 14-time French Open champion waved all around Court Philippe Chatrier, but it seems Roland Garros isn’t the only place where Nadal won’t be seen on court again.
When asked if he would go to the United States, where several events will be held before the US Open – Live on Sky Sports from 26 August – The process has already started, the 38-year-old said: “It seems that it will not happen, but I will tell you soon. For me right now I cannot give you a clear answer, I need some time. But for me it seems difficult.”
Meanwhile, Nadal cast even more doubts over his future when responding to a question about his relationship with Alcaraz.
“If I was 10 years younger, we could have built a beautiful relationship on the court and we could have shared a lot of beautiful moments together,” he said. “But that’s not going to happen.
“We’ll see if I’ll continue to play the regular tour or not. But of course I’ll be supporting them from home and wishing them luck every time. Whether I continue to play or not, I love tennis.”
Where will Nadal play next?
Nadal has signed up for the Laver Cup in Berlin in September and, two years after Roger Federer bid farewell to the Ryder Cup-style event, it is likely his great rival will do the same.
He had earlier hoped to end his Olympic career with a third medal by winning gold in singles and doubles, but he and Alcaraz were unable to win against a high-quality doubles team due to enthusiastic spectators.
Rafael Nadal playing with Carlos Alcaraz in Men’s Doubles
“It was disappointing not to win a medal for Spain, but that’s all,” Nadal said. “I tried to give my best every minute on court, but it wasn’t enough to achieve our goals. If it’s the last time, it’s an unforgettable feeling and emotion.
“When I’m on the court, they give me love and support every moment. It’s very special to feel like this in this place. At this stage of my career, I play for emotions, I play more for feelings than for results.
“I have won a lot in my career, more than I could have ever dreamed of. For me, it’s about enjoying different experiences, and it’s another once-in-a-lifetime experience to share it with Carlos, an amazing player who I think will definitely be one of the best in the history of this game.”
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Rafael Nadal was in his first final in two years, but lost at the last hurdle as Nuno Borges was victorious, winning the top prize at the Swedish Open.
Alcaraz, whose lack of experience in doubles had been exposed, relished the opportunity to share court with Nadal.
“It was an incredible experience for me, one I’ll never forget,” he said. “Playing on the same side of the net with Rafa and learning from him so closely was great. I tried to enjoy every single second.
“I’m a bit disappointed right now, obviously we wanted to move on. Here we can spend more time and talk a lot about life, and that’s what I’m going to keep for myself.”
What else happened in tennis on Wednesday?
Alcaraz first clashed with Novak Djokovic for the gold medal in singles as both reached the quarterfinals. Djokovic will next face eighth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, while Alcaraz will play American Tommy Paul in a rematch of the Wimbledon quarterfinals.
Andy Murray may hold on to the title, but another three-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber lost 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (6) to China’s Zheng Qinwen in the women’s singles quarter-finals.
Andy Murray making Olympics his final event before retirement
Zheng is now certain to win a medal, as is Slovakia’s Anna-Karolina Schmiedlova, the most surprising success story here. The 29-year-old is ranked 67th in the world but she beat SW19 champion Barbora Krejcikova 6-4, 6-2 after beating Wimbledon finalist Jasmine Paolini.
The presence of top seed Iga Swiatek in the last four was less surprising, having recorded her 25th consecutive win on the Paris clay, although she was challenged by Danielle Collins but the American retired with an injury while trailing 6-1, 2-6, 4-1.
Katie Boulter and Heather Watson produced another very impressive performance to beat Brazilian sixth seeds Beatriz Haddad Maia and Luisa Stefani 6-3, 6-4 to reach the women’s doubles quarter-finals.
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