Rafael Nadal on his retirement: “At that moment, I told myself it was over. There was no point in playing anymore.”

Rafael Nadal was a guest on Andy Roddick’s podcast, where he took the time to discuss various topics.

After talking about his legendary rivalry with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, the 14-time Roland Garros champion opened up about the moment he decided to bring his incredible career to an end.

“After my hip surgery (in June 2023), I tried to come back. Things went more or less well at first, but then the recovery took six to seven months. When I returned to training, I felt okay, but I knew I couldn’t push like before. I was limited in my movements. I gave myself some time to adapt and see how things would evolve. Tennis-wise, I still felt competitive, I didn’t feel like I had lost my power. That period was very tough, but I kept fighting. I felt capable of playing at a competitive level again, but I could no longer move on the court the way I used to. After the Paris Olympics, I went home and told myself it was over. There was no point in playing anymore. I didn’t feel like I could return to my best level with all these physical issues.”