Rafael Nadal’s uncle Toni reveals when tennis great told family he will announce his retirement
Toni Nadal admits Rafael Nadal was hoping to delay his retirement by a year as he wanted “another good season on clay”, but his body had simply had enough.
The legendary Nadal confirmed this week that he would hang up his racket after the Davis Cup Finals in November, bringing down the curtain on his illustrious career that saw him win 22 Grand Slams – including a record 14 at Roland Garros – while he also topped the world rankings as he spent 209 weeks at No 1.
“It is obviously a difficult decision, one that has taken me some time to make,” the 38-year-old said in a video posted on social media on Thursday.
“But in this life, everything has a beginning and an end. And I think it’s the appropriate time to put an end to a career that has been long and much more successful than I could have ever imagined.”
Nadal’s family, including his uncle and former coach Toni, were only informed on the morning of the announcement that the legendary player was about to inform the world that he is retiring later this year.
In an interview with Marca, Toni said: “We have a family chat and Rafa said on Thursday that in a few hours a video was coming out announcing his retirement.
“In the group we are the five brothers and older nephews. I’m a pretty dry guy and I wrote to him: ‘Congratulations, you’ve had a good career.’ The others went on a bit longer. I say things up front, which makes me less lazy.”
Nadal’s announcement didn’t come as a complete surprise as he revealed last year that the 2024 campaign would most likely be his final as a professional.
However, there were several hints throughout the year that he could well continue his playing career in 2025, especially after his first-round exit from Roland Garros in May.
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Toni admits Rafael’s heart and head wanted another shot on clay next year, but the injuries have taken their toll.
“Rafa would have liked another good season on clay and that means winning or at least performing at a good level. He has not retired as he would have liked. I always told him not to complain because life has treated us better than we expected,” the 63-year-old said.
He added: “Looking back now, you can say why he put it off, but Rafa had the hope of still giving his best version and when he was not convinced, he retired.
“It’s just that his body doesn’t respond. When he forces his body, it suffers from one part or another. The same thing happened to [Roger] Federer, he tried for two years and left.”
