Rafael Nadal retirement leaves Roger Federer’s former coach ‘surprised’
Roger Federer’s former coach Ivan Ljubicic has admitted he is “surprised” Rafael Nadal has decided to retire at the end of the 2024 season.
The former world No 3 feels this year’s French Open would have been “the most logical place to stop” for Nadal.
Nadal announced last week that he will make the final appearance of his staggering 23-year professional career at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals in Malaga next month. The 38-year-old has helped Spain win five Davis Cup titles.
“The reality is that it has been some difficult years, these last two years especially,” the 22-time Grand Slam champion said in a video shared on his social media.
“I don’t think I have been able to play without limitations. It is obviously a difficult decision, one that has taken me some time to make.
“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.”
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Speaking at the Festival dello Sport, Ljubicic suggested Nadal has been forced to retire by his body in a similar way to that which he witnessed as Federer’s coach.
“I’m surprised because I thought Roland Garros was probably the right time, the most logical place to stop,” the Croatian said. “But I don’t know what he feels or why that was his decision.
“I don’t think a player of this level – as I saw it with Federer – would retire, because he doesn’t want to play tennis anymore.
“He steps back because he probably feels that he cannot play at a level that is acceptable to him. When the future is not clear, it is not good to continue with this feeling, and it is logical to make a certain decision.
“I’ve always said it’s one thing, to decide to quit, that is the hardest thing.”
Nadal has played seven tournaments in 2024 and he has not competed since the Paris Olympic in July, where he featured in singles and doubles.
The former world No 1 will face Spanish compatriot Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals of the Six Kings Slam exhibition in Riyadh today.
Nadal and Novak Djokovic both received byes to the last four of the event, while Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner overcame Holger Rune and Daniil Medvedev respectively on Thursday.
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