Rafael Nadal asked if he regrets not retiring after 2022 French Open title win
Rafael Nadal has given a wide-ranging interview following his retirement as he insisted there was no reason for him to retire on a high after he won the 2022 French Open as there was a good chance he would have won Wimbledon that year.
Having started the 2022 season with a record-breaking 21st Grand Slam title by winning the Australian Open, Nadal then won a record-extending 14th title at Roland Garros as he took his major tally to 22.
He then reached the semi-final of Wimbledon, but picked up an abdominal injury and was forced to withdraw from his match against Nick Kyrgios.
Although he returned during the North American hard-court swing, he failed to regain form before misfortune struck at the 2023 Australian Open as he suffered hip injury during his second-round defeat.
There were high hopes he would be fit for the French Open, but he didn’t play another match during the rest of the season as he underwent surgery and also confirmed his intention to retire after the 2024 campaign.
He played only a handful of tournaments during his farewell year and eventually retired after the Davis Cup Finals in November.
During an interview with L’Équipe, he was asked if he should have walked away after the 2022 title in Paris.
“Why would I have stopped at Roland Garros 2022? I don’t see the point, Because I’ve won the French Open, I’m supposed to retire?” the former world No 1 replied.
“In 2022, I win Australia, I win Acapulco, I win Roland Garros. I cracked a rib at Indian Wells (losing in the final to Taylor Fritz) and tore my abdomen at Wimbledon (forfeiting the semi-finals). If that hadn’t happened, I think I’d have been ready to win Wimbledon. It’s always the same thing.
“To start speculating, if I had withdrawn… If you ask me today, yes, I would have retired after Roland Garros. But in 2022, how could I have retired if I was at a great sporting moment, happy to be playing tennis?
“I had a very complicated situation with my foot at Roland-Garros, but the problem improved afterwards. But then a lot of things happened: the abdominal tear at Wimbledon, then again at the US Open, and the hip in Australia in 2023.
“If I’d known it was going to turn out this way, I’d definitely have retired! (He smiles.) But I didn’t know. In 2022, I’m fighting to be No 1 in the world, I’ve won the first two Grand Slams of the season and almost the third! Why would I retire?”
Nadal attempted several comebacks before undergoing surgery in May 2022, while the plan was also to compete in several tournaments in 2024.
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But in the end he only played at the Brisbane International, clay events – including French Open and 2024 Olympics at Roland Garros – before ending his career in Malaga at the Davis Cup Finals.
When did he know it was time to quit?
“Life shows you the way. Tennis-wise, I felt good. In my head, I was fine, I had the right intentions. I wanted to fight and I made the effort to try,” he said.
“That’s the body. Behind my hip operation, I could no longer run freely, I couldn’t hit my backhand hard in the open position. Every time I had to make a sudden movement, my leg wouldn’t let me.
“So you keep going, to see if it will resolve, because they tell you there’s a chance it will resolve and you’ll be able to play at 100% again.
“I give myself that margin. But as the months go by, I realise that evolution isn’t happening. So to continue playing without the objective of fighting for what really makes me happy doesn’t make sense.
“When I feel that this period is really over, that this last test, this margin I’m giving my body to recover, isn’t having the expected results, it’s time to say stop.”
