Rafael Nadal has been told to stick to his original plan and retire in 2024 after spending the year sidelined by an injury. During a press conference in May, the 37-year-old shut down his season and admitted that next year would likely be his last on the tour. However, Nadal has since backtracked and explained that any retirement decision would depend on how competitive he could be when he returned.
After undergoing surgery in June, the Spaniard recently returned to the practice court and has been upping the intensity as he plots a return for next season. But there is now uncertainty about whether 2024 will be his final year as a tennis pro.
While Nadal himself has refused to commit to a definitive retirement date, Express Sport tennis fans believe that the 22-time Grand Slam champion should hang up his racket in 2024. In a poll, readers were asked whether the Spaniard should make a U-turn on his initial plan to end his career
63 per cent voted no, making it clear that they thought Nadal should stick to his original plan. It comes as the 37-year-old is still deciding whether he will be able to make his comeback at the Australian Open in two months’ time.
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Nadal has not played a match since this year’s Australian Open back in January where he injured his left psoas during his second-round defeat. He failed to make a comeback during the clay swing as planned and subsequently ended his season in May, also sharing his intentions of retiring in 2024.
“I want to play in 2024, which should be the last year of my career. I want to be able to enjoy it and to say goodbye to tournaments that I want,” Nadal said during a press conference at his Mallorcan academy. The Spaniard went on to have arthroscopic hip surgery in June and has since cast doubt over his initial retirement plans.
Speaking to AS last month, the 37-year-old explained: “I said that possibly 2024 will be my last year. I stand by that, but I can’t confirm it 100 per cent. I think there’s a good chance that it will be, because I know how my body is but how I’ll be in four months, I don’t know.
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“I’m not sure what I’ll be doing in 2024, because it will change completely depending on what my objectives are. If I don’t recover, that’s one thing, if I can compete at a level that excites me, that’s another.”
While the end of Nadal’s career is still up in the air, his immediate concern will be planning a comeback. The former world No 1 was forced to deny claims that he had committed to playing the Australian Open after tournament director Craig Tiley falsely announced his comeback.
“Yes, it was a bit daring,” he told AS. “I have a very good relationship with him and I understand his excitement and also that of the Australian Open, which is surely less than the excitement I have about going there. Saying that I am going to be at the Australian Open seems very complicated to say today. In fact I don’t know and I’m working to try to recover.”
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