More than a month has passed since the end of the Olympic tournament, but the future of Rafael Nadal remains uncertain. The former world number 1 is in no hurry to decide whether or not to continue his professional career, but many fear that his retirement is now imminent.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion has not reached the goals he set for himself this year and his results have not lived up to expectations. Although he has worked hard over the past few months, the Spanish legend was eliminated in the first round at the French Open and the second round at the Paris Olympics by her eternal rival Novak Djokovic.

Rafa reached only one final in 2024, on the red clay of Bastad, playing a bad match against Nuno Borges and losing sharply. The feeling is that Nadal will hardly be able to compete for the most important titles and that his body has given him too much signals in the last two years.

The Spaniard will play the Laver Cup, scheduled for Berlin at the end of this month. Some time ago, it was also announced that he would participate in the ‘Six Kings Slam‘, an event to be held in Saudi Arabia in October along with other top players (Djokovic, Sinner, Alcaraz, Medvedev and Rune).

Ferrer on Nadal’s future

Fans and insiders are wondering if it makes sense for Rafa to continue playing at professional level without having any chance of winning other important titles.

Speaking with Cadena Ser, former ATP ace and current Spain’s captain in Davis Cup David Ferrer commented on Nadal’s future: “He has a clear goal in his schedule since the end of the Olympic Games: to play the Laver Cup and then the exhibition in Saudi Arabia. And he’s in a different time. He wanted to rest, disconnect… It was something he needed and we’ll see. When this is over, when he has to decide what he wants to do, he will let me know. When I talk to him, I want him to be okay. The important thing is that he’s happy and content. He always has an open door and he knows it.”

The 22-time Grand Slam champion said 2024 would be the last year of his legendary career. Due to the usual injuries, the Spaniard did not play all the tournaments he would have wanted and did not close the doors to continue his career in 2025. Nadal’s level this year is not enough to expand his palmarés, also due to the rise of young talents like Alcaraz and Sinner.

During the latest edition of the ‘NBC’s Today Show’, 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer opened up on Rafa’s current status: “I actually just spoke to him this last week. He wanted to ask me something, and we had a chat, and, I felt a little bit sorry for him. That his summer didn’t go as well as planned because, at the French Open he had a tough draw. Olympics, he had a tough draw as well. He was hoping, I think, to get a medal. But you know, overall he can do whatever he wants. He’s been one of the most iconic tennis players we have ever had in our sport and that’s what I told him. So I just hope he can go out on his terms and the way he wants to, but he’s a great guy, great career.”

A long-awaited decision

The former world number 1 is not in a hurry to make a decision and wants to weigh all his options well. If Spain qualifies for the Davis Cup Finals, Rafa could be in Malaga to help his country. Nadal had the chance to play with his young compatriot Carlitos Alcaraz at the Paris Olympics.

“We had never played together, and that shows when facing opponents who have automated movements and reaction speeds. It was a very nice experience, even though we lost in the quarterfinals” – the Spaniard said in a recent interview with ‘El Hormiguero’. “I think he is a bit mentally overloaded because the calendar in an Olympic year is very tight, but he will soon be back at his level. It’s great to see that after a player like me, another Spanish player of this caliber emerges. Carlos will be one of the best tennis players in history” – he added. Rafa dreamed of winning another Olympic medal, having won gold in singles at Beijing 2008 and doubles at Rio 2016. The draw was not favorable to him in Paris, forcing him to a premature elimination in singles and doubles.