Rafael Nadal and the harsh sentence that puts his tennis career in crisis: “Whoever is by my side sees me suffer”

The Spanish Rafael Nadalwho this Thursday announced that he will not participate in the next edition of the tournament Roland GarrosHe also stated that his intention is for next year to be his last year as a professional tennis player.

Nadal chose to avoid the suspense and it was clear to talk about the difficult situation on a personal level which meant trying to recover from the right leg injury which prevents him from being physically fit enough to return to high competition.

“The injury I sustained in Australia didn’t evolve as expected. I missed targets along the way and Roland Garros becomes impossible. I won’t be able to be after so many years and with what this appointment means to me,” Rafa said.

And then, in the most tense moment of the conversation, when he discussed the possibility of a possible retirement close to the age of 37, he was clear: “I have no intention of continuing to play for the next few months. In recent years, despite the results have been of my first level, my daily life was of a very low standard. Although the victories remain abroad, in terms of daily work, the years have been very difficult since the pandemic.

“I won’t go to Roland Garros, I won’t play in these months, and my intention is that next year will be my last, to be able to play the tournaments that I want to greet from whoever scored me.” , although he also let the possibility of playing Davis Cup at the end of the year slip away.

With the attitude that characterizes him, Rafa has described himself as a positive person who tolerates the sacrifices that elite sport entails but needs to stop. “I need them and those who are by my side,” he stressed.

“Everyone sees me suffer, a disconnect will do us good. They see me fight and the only reward seems to be victoryRaffaele reflected.

And by way of summary, he highlighted: “They’ve been difficult years even if the victories mask it. I’m going one point and aside. At this point, without being prepared to be able to compete at the level I need. I have to put one point and aside my sports run”.

“I will make an effort so that my end is different,” warned Rafa, who dreams of saying goodbye to his tennis history by not happening in a press conference but on a court.

The Roland Garros tournament, which Nadal has won 14 times, is played between May 22 and June 11 in Paris.