Rafael Nadal Addresses the Future of His Career After Olympics

On Wednesday afternoon, Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal lost in the men's doubles tournament of the Paris Olympics. The American duo of Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram won in straight sets: 6-2, 6-4.

As much as Nadal is tired of the questions about the future of his career, they came up again today. When asked about his outlook, he said, "A stage has ended. I had given myself until the Games to find out the rest of my career and today that stage is over."

Nadal added, "I need to go home and analyze the situation cold, to see the desire and the strength I have left."

Etched in history 🥇

The #Olympics run of 2x Gold Medalist Rafael Nadal has come to an end 🥹#Paris2024 #tennis pic.twitter.com/OwFLY7d0vR
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) July 31, 2024

Nadal's playing career is unlikely to end immediately. He is currently planning to play in the US Open next month. However, the Olympics were quite possibly Nadal's last time playing at Philippe Chatrier.

When asked if today was his last day on the legendary clay courts, Nadal said, "If it was my last on this Philippe Chatrier court? Maybe, I don't know. If that's the case, it will be unforgettable emotions. The public gave me love. The fans supported me in every second of my matches."

Muchas gracias Rafa por esta semana y por haber compartido pista conmigo jugando por 🇪🇸! Hoy no ha podido ser, pero me llevo un montón de cosas para el futuro! Ha sido muy especial! ❤️ @RafaelNadal pic.twitter.com/qkF46dslVf
— Carlos Alcaraz (@carlosalcaraz) July 31, 2024

Of course, 14 of Nadal's 22 Grand Slam titles came at the French Open. He is inarguably the best clay court player in tennis history. If today was the final chapter of Nadal's history at Philippe Chatrier, then it was a moment fans will never forget.

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Further Reading: Coco Gauff wants tennis to adopt a video assistant referee system like soccer.