In the press conference on the eve of the Australian Open 2023, the Spanish champion Rafael Nadal talked about many topics, inclided the future of the NextGen, his fatherhood and the future. Rafa explained: “How has being a father changed my tennis? In the end I’m fine, having my family here is very important and I’m satisfied with these my working days.
I can do the usual routine and train as much as possible, I think I trained more in these three weeks than in the last ten years. 2022? The sport goes on fast and that is now the past. In tennis, people remember victories, everyone remembers that I won 22 Grand Slams, not that I lost 50!
What happened last year will remain in my heart and the victory here over Medvedev is one of the most exciting of my career. The NextGen? I don’t predict the future and I don’t know what will happen. Carlos won one Grand Slam title, the others none yet.
If we talk about getting to 21-22 Grand Slams, we know it’s a really difficult thing, then it can happen. But it must be remembered that it had never happened in the past. We Big Three have done it and the fact that all three of us have achieved these things perhaps loses perspective of how tough it is.
I’m still playing at 36, to achieve this result you have to have a long career and sometimes you have injuries. I have no doubts about their potential but there are so many situations in life and I don’t think it’s right to talk about these numbers.”
Rafael Nadal closes to the retirement?
Nadal is one of the most anticipated men at the Australian Open 2023.
The Spaniard, defending champion, is not in perfect condition, but he still starts as one of the favorites for the tournament, seeded number one thanks to the forfeit of world number one Carlos Alcaraz, absent due to injury.
Nadal has experienced many emotions in the last twelve months, from doubts about his physical conditions to paternity, which arrived in the final part of a crazy 2022. Many of the insiders spoke of the expert Spanish champion as a last ride, but still once the Majorcan tennis player surprised everyone and first won the Australian Open 2022 and then the Roland Garros.
All this despite constant physical problems. A special year, therefore, that will be remembered for many reasons, such as the tears of Fedal at Roger Federer’s retirement in the last Laver Cup, staged in September. Now, Nadal has started 2022 badly, he has appeared in quite worrying conditions and once again the insiders continue to discuss a possible retirement.
In this regard, the words of the German tennis player Alexander Zverev are discussed, clear with a sensational sentence on Rafa. The German spoke to Eurosport like this: “I’m sorry to say it, but I think Rafa Nadal will retire at the end of the Roland Garros 2023.
I hope that doesn’t happen but I think he will have a great tournament, maybe win and then say goodbye to all the Tour.”
