His tennis days are numbered.
After spending eight months in two UK prisons after being sentenced to two and a half years in prison for hiding his cash and real estate assets to declare bankruptcy and not pay his debts, German tennis legend Boris Becker has been deported back to his home country. He comments on the Australian Open down the chain Eurosport. His words do not go unnoticed. In the last hours, he issued a sentence related to Rafael Nadal, which caused a sensation.
“If the question is will Rafa play until the age of 40 [NdR: en junio cumplirá 37]The answer is that I don’t think so. Losing to (McKenzie) McDonald was the first step towards retirement because an injury like that takes time to recover and he’s already that old. His days in tennis are numbered,” said the three-time Wimbledon champion and world number 1 in 1991.
Rafa entered the Australian Open, the first major tournament of the season, as the top seed and defending champion. However, he left on the third day of competition, Falling in the second round with McDonald’s (63rd place) by 6-4, 6-4, 7-5, But above all when undergoing a new injury. The Spaniard himself confirmed that during the second set of the match he had suffered a “grade two iliac muscle injury” in his left leg and that he would be out of the tour for six to eight weeks. “I am tired, sad, frustrated. From here, I assume that when things progress, the appropriate decisions will be taken, because I want to continue playing tennis,” Nadal said in Melbourne.
The body of Nadal, the first winner of the Grand Slam singles tournaments (22), which he lifted so much for more than a decade and a half, also betrayed him with a frequency so unhealthy and unbearable for most mortals. 2022 has been a rollercoaster of feelings for the Matador. He was a father for the first time (in October, after a complicated pregnancy for his wife Xisca) and reached the record-breaking Grand Slam tournaments. But he sustained injuries. He suffered a broken rib at Indian Wells, suffered an injury to his left foot in Rome, played at Roland Garros undercover from start to finish, and in July broke his belly button at Wimbledon and damaged the same muscle group again at the US Open. He even considered retiring during the European Spring.
“I think he’ll want to play in Paris again. I don’t know if he’ll go back to Australia. That’s why you have to enjoy him being there while he’s in competition,” he added, in EurosportWho was at the time the coach of the Serbian Novak Djokovic, who aspires to be crowned on Sunday at Melbourne Park and equalize Rafa at the top of the big titles.
Boom Boom Baker He also praised Nadal, saying: “He is not a tennis legend, he is a sports legend, he is one of the most important athletes of the last 25 years.”. He is becoming more popular, and he could become the president of Spain if he wanted to, but I think he’s going to hit the racket again. If he’s fit, for me he’s the frontrunner for Roland Garros.”
Becker is not the only one who suspects an imminent farewell to Nadal. Another German, Alexander Zverev, who is currently ranked 13th in the world (losing ground in the rankings after being inactive for the past six months due to a severe ankle injury), predicted while in Australia: “Unfortunately, I think Rafa will retire at Roland.” Garros. I don’t want that to happen, but I think he’ll have a great tournament, potentially win it and say goodbye.” Upon learning of the Hamburg-born player’s expectations, Nadal smiled, dismissed it, and said sarcastically that he had no relationship with Zverev until he confessed the news to him.
The French Open, which Nadal has won 14 times, will start on May 22. The truth, in addition to how much the second-place finisher in the standings will be competing, is that injuries are testing him again and his strength and goals (in life) are no longer what they used to be. Will you try to keep playing? Yes, without a doubt. But it will be his body that will mark the field.
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