Rafael Nadal admitted that the upcoming Masters in Madrid will be the last one he plays in the capital of his country. He simply can’t do it anymore.
Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal said that this season is probably the last in his career, but he did not want to make any official announcements, hoping that his health will improve and that he will be able to play tennis even after 2024. But the reality is completely different – Nadal has barely “felt” the court since Wimbledon in 2022…
He had to withdraw from the Masters in Monte Carlo, then he was quickly eliminated in Barcelona, while now at the “thousandth” in Madrid he announced that this definitely the last year on the ATP tour: “I’m not sure I’ll be 100% ready, but this tournament means too much to me and I want to play my last Masters in Madrid. This is a special place and a special court for me,” said Nadal before the start of the competition.
By the way, Nadal will start playing against Darwin Blank, an American tennis player who is only 16 years old. The difference between the two is best illustrated by the fact that Nadal played his first Masters in Madrid even before Blanco was born, and so far he has won the title five times in his career in the Spanish capital.
Of course, Nadal’s priority is not to win Madrid, but to reach an optimal level of physical fitness that will enable him to play at Roland Garros, where he is chasing the 15th Grand Slam, or at the Olympic Games in Paris, where he is also playing on clay.
