Tennis legend Nadal to retire in November

‘Rafael will have no regrets of any kind on the day he turns 80, sitting quietly on his sofa in his home in Mallorca (his hometown in Spain),” wrote Toni Nadal, uncle of world-renowned tennis player Rafael Nadal, after Rafael announced that he was ending his professional tennis career, in an article titled ‘Rafael, I Respect You’ published in the Spanish daily El Pais on Oct. 13. Nadal’s uncle had taught Nadal tennis since he was three years old and worked as his coach until February 2017.

In his contribution, the uncle shared the promise he made to Nadal. A famous former tennis player once confessed to him that he was not happy with his career not because he didn’t win more, but because he lacked patience. He told the story to his nephew Nadal, advising his nephew that he did not wish him to repeat the mistake.

“Don’t worry. When I leave, I will be at peace because I will have given everything I have,” said Nadal.

Nadal posted a similar message on social media when announcing his retirement last Thursday. “I leave with complete inner peace because I did my best in every way,” he said.

Jackie Robinson (1919-1972), the first black player in the American professional baseball major league in the 20th century, once famously said, “Athletes die twice,” meaning that athletes retiring from professional career is like ending their lives.

Born in 1986, Nadal was diagnosed with Müller-Weiss syndrome when he was 19 (2005). Nadal lived with chronic pain due to this rare disease that causes deformation of the bone tissue in the foot. Nine out of ten times throughout his career, he would have to stop training due to foot pain. Unlike regular tours (3 sets), painkillers were always used in major tournaments that lasted up to 5 sets. At the 2022 French Open, where he won his 22nd and final major championship, which was the record at the time, he played after receiving an anesthetic injection that numbed his right foot.

Over the past two years, he suffered from abdominal and glute injuries, so it would have been no surprise for him to retire at any time. Failing to appear in four major tournaments in a row since last year's French Open, he had been plagued by constant rumors of retirement. Whenever he stood at an official event, he stressed that he could not retire speaking through a microphone. “I will play at least one game on the court and then retire,” he said. Even when Nadal finally returned to this year’s French Open, everyone considered this tournament Nadal’s ‘last dance.’ However, Nadal again declined the retirement event arranged by the organizers, saying, “I will definitely come back next year.”

Nadal never gave up. His long-standing repertoire included using his last strength to achieve a come-from-behind victory despite being in great pain that even worried his opponents. His way of postponing retirement was much like his play style, but he finally gave in. Nasal truly gave all he had.

The athlete's life was filled with pain and uncertainty for nearly 20 years. However, Nadal faced his ‘first death’ in peace because he gave his all. Nadal‘s efforts will be missed by many for a long time.