Holger Rune makes Rafael Nadal ‘shouldn’t retire’ admission after Six Kings Slam
Holger Rune has revealed he felt Rafael Nadal “shouldn’t retire” after seeing how intense the Spaniard was practising at the Six Kings Slams.
Former world No 1 and 22-time Grand Slam singles champion Nadal will call time on his career at the Davis Cup Finals next month in Malaga.
Though not an official event, the Six Kings Slam will prove to be one of the final times Nadal was on court as a professional player.
The Spaniard has struggled with physical issues over the past two seasons and has not played an official match since the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Nadal and Rune did not get to play each other in Riyadh, with both men losing their opening matches, though they did get to practice with each other at the exhibition.
And, speaking at the Paris Masters, the Danish star admitted that he was so taken aback by Nadal’s desire in practice he questioned whether the Spaniard should end his career.
He said: “Do I get inspiration from other players or do I just focus on myself? A bit of both.
“I think inspiration is important, but I always try to be a beast, whether it’s in training, in preparation or in a match, I always want to push myself.
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“You get inspiration from players like Djokovic or Rafa Nadal. I remember training with Rafa in Riyadh and it’s surprising: this guy is almost retired and he trains with such intensity that you think: ‘You shouldn’t retire’.
“He’s had an incredible career and he’s achieved so much, it’s not for nothing that Rafa and Novak both give their all in every training session.”
Alongside Nadal and Djokovic, Rune was also joined by Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Daniil Medvedev at the exhibition event in Riyadh.
Despite being beaten by Alcaraz in his opening match, the 21-year-old admitted that he had “a lot of fun” spending time with his fellow ATP stars.
“It was an interesting experience,” Rune joked. “It was a lot of fun, it was great to be able to compete in such a small event.
“I only played one match, against Carlos, but to be able to train with the boys all week and spend time with them off the court – I already know them, but it brought us closer, we had a lot of activities together, it was really fun.”
2022 Paris Masters champion Rune will continue his quest for a second title in Bercy with a third round clash against French lucky loser Arthur Cazaux on Thursday.
