Rafael Nadal is as Good as Retired Though he is Not Announcing it

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Rafael Nadal is not getting any younger at the age of 37 and it is gradually becoming difficult for him to return to his very best. The emergence of players like Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, who both are into their early 20s, is only going to make life tougher for Nadal, who once held the record for most Grand Slam men's singles titles.

Nadal won the French Open in 2022 after which he has struggled with his fitness. His decline started in the Australian Open last year where he lost to Mackenzie MacDonald in the second round. Later that year, he announced that he would not take part in the French Open, a tournament he has won 14 times, the most by any player in the history of the clay-court major.

How has Rafael Nadal performed since return?

Nadal returned at Roland Garros earlier this year, but lost to Alexander Zverev in straight sets in the opening round. During this while, Nadal kept reiterating that he could not afford to look too far ahead. Rather, the Spaniard wanted to set himself small goals. Although he kept the doors open of a return in the French Open next year, it seems highly unlikely that he will make a comeback.

Nadal did not take part in the Wimbledon, citing that he needed to give himself enough time to get back in shape. He played in the Nordea Open where he finished as the runners-up. Nadal represented Spain in the Paris Olympics where he lost to Novak Djokovic, the eventual gold-medallist, in the second round.

He also entertained the crowd in Paris by playing men's doubles with Alcaraz. Nadal was named in the entry list for the US Open, but he pulled out of the hard-court major. The veteran, meanwhile, is a part of Team Europe for the seventh edition of the Laver Cup, but there are enough doubts on whether he will return for Grand Slams.