Taylor Fritz ‘very surprised’ by Rafael Nadal retirement decision
Taylor Fritz has admitted that he is “very surprised” Rafael Nadal has decided to retire at the Davis Cup Finals – and not during the clay court swing.
Nadal announced yesterday that he would call time on his career at the Finals in Malaga next month, ending months of speculation regarding when he would play his last official match.
The Spaniard has been forced into playing a limited schedule in recent years due to physical struggles, though played multiple events on clay this season.
The ‘King of Clay’ played in Barcelona, Madrid, and Rome before Roland Garros, and then played in Bastad – reaching the final – and at the Olympic Games in Paris.
Reacting to news of Nadal’s retirement, world No 7 and recent US Open semi-finalist Fritz revealed he was somewhat surprised the 22-time major champion did not retire on clay – the surface he dominated for two years.
“Many people were expecting his retirement to be announced,” said Fritz.
“I was very surprised that it was during the Davis Cup. Many were expecting it at Roland Garros, Madrid, or Barcelona.
“He has been trying to recover for a long time, and the fact that his retirement is happening during the Davis Cup just shows that he has been trying to play for a long time.
“I have been very lucky to have played against Rafa a couple of times, in his last full year playing with a relatively solid schedule.
ATP Tour News
‘Rafael Nadal overachieved more than anybody’, claims tennis legend in Roger Federer comparison
“I grew up watching Rafa. He and Roger [Federer] dominated the sport, and it has been an honour to play at the same time as someone I watched on TV when I was a little kid.
“So, it has been an honour to play with him – it’s the end of an era.”
Nadal and Fritz have played each other four times, with the head-to-head evenly split with two wins apiece.
The former world No 1 dropped just five games when they met in the Acapulco final in 2020, though Fritz then beat the Spaniard in the 2022 Indian Wells final to claim the biggest title of his career.
Nadal battled his way to victory over the American in a five-set Wimbledon quarter-final later that year, before Fritz won their last meeting at the 2022 ATP Finals.
The American is currently in action at the Shanghai Masters, where he has continued his impressive 2024 season by making it to the last four.
Fritz dispatched David Goffin in straight sets on Friday, and will now look to beat Novak Djokovic for the first time in 10 meetings when they face off in Saturday’s semi-finals.
