Rafael Nadal’s uncle Toni pinpoints retirement reason as he makes ‘wanted to continue’ assertion
Toni Nadal has divulged that Rafael Nadal decided to retire when he “realised it was impossible” to overcome his injury problems this year.
The uncle and former coach of Nadal explained the great Spaniard “found it hard” to step away from tennis and that he “would have wanted to continue” if he could have done.
Nadal announced last month that he will make the final appearance of his staggering career at the Davis Cup Final 8 stage in Malaga, which will be held from November 19-24.
In an emotional video announcing his decision on social media, Nadal said: “The reality is that it has been some difficult years, these last two years especially.
“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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Spain will play the Netherlands in the Davis Cup quarter-finals on November 19. Along with Nadal — Carlos Alcaraz, Roberto Bautista Agut and Marcel Granollers have been named in David Ferrer’s Spain squad, while a fifth player is yet to be confirmed.
In an interview with Flashscore, Toni Nadal discussed his nephew’s retirement.
“It will also be an emotional moment,” the 63-year-old said. “To close a stage of more than 20 years, yours, in professional tennis, to close it all at once, it’s hard.
“But, on the other hand, we knew that this moment had to come and that it was very close. So, we took it as normal.”
The legendary coach also addressed whether Nadal has chosen a good time to retire.
“People always tend to blame others for things they don’t do themselves,” Nadal said. “Rafael found it hard to retire because, for anyone, to stop doing an activity you like and have been doing for many years is hard.
“Afterwards, my nephew has lived another reality: for years, he has lived with problems, with injuries that he has been able to overcome.
“This time, it wasn’t like that. It didn’t happen, and when he realised it was impossible, he retired. But before that, he would have wanted to continue, of course.”
Toni Nadal coached his nephew from his childhood until 2017, helping him win 16 of his 22 Grand Slam titles. He is the director of the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca.
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