On Wednesday, Rafael Nadal withdrew from the US Open, making it the…
Rafael Nadal withdrew from the US Open on Wednesday, marking his third straight Grand Slam loss of the year and casting further doubt on his 38-year-old tennis career.
It was not shocking when Nadal made his declaration on social media. Although his name appeared on the official entry list for New York that was made public last month, this was merely a formality and did not prevent the 22-time major champion from quitting at any time before the competition got underway on August 26.
Furthermore, Nadal hinted to this information a week prior when his time representing Spain in the 2024 Olympics concluded with a doubles quarterfinal defeat against Carlos Alcaraz. That came after opponent Novak Djokovic, the man who won the men’s gold medal, defeated him in the second round of the singles competition.
When asked then if he would be playing at the US Open, Rafael Nadal took a long time to answer. “It appears not. However, I will inform you as quickly as possible,” he replied. I am not sure I can respond to you clearly right now. I need some time, although it seems hard to me.”
Although Nadal has not made any announcements regarding a potential retirement, it is reasonable to assume that he is nearing retirement given his advanced age and recent history of injuries, which includes hip surgery in 2023 and abdominal muscle problems in 2024 that limited his playing time over the previous two seasons.
