To his 37 years, Rafael Nadal brought joy to his followers by showing that he is ready to continue playing tennis outside 2024. Although he admits it is a difficult option, the surgery he underwent appears to have gone well. Despite this, winning a Grand Slam is something he cannot see coming due to his age and physical problems.

“The last time I spoke publicly, I didn’t know I would have to have surgery. In fact, I had problems because a year and a half ago I injured my ribs playing against Alcaraz in Indian Wells, although during that time I won another Roland Garros. “Sometimes results are determined day by day,” Rafa Nadal began in an interview with the magazine Movistar+.

“In the end, the operating room was the only possible solution. The operation seems to have gone well. In addition to the psoas muscle, I had surgery on my hip. I had a difficult few months in the beginning. I have been with my family and enjoyed this time, been on holiday and recently returned to work. “I needed to switch off,” admitted the Balearic tennis player. About the pain, Rafa Nadal said: “Now it can be controlled. There are times when my leg does not allow me to live in peace, it is difficult for me to even go down the stairs, and this sometimes happens. “If it hurts, it is difficult to be happy, my character changes when it hurts more than necessary.”

While he doesn’t have a “plan” for the future, “he has hopes of coming back and being competitive.” But the dream is not to win a Grand Slam, that is a little far off for me due to age and physical problems. It’s hard to expect anything specific, but when I come back we’ll see how I feel,” Rafa Nadal added cautiously.

Will Rafa Nadal retire in 2024?

When asked if he plans to retire in 2024, Rafa Nadal explained: “I said that maybe 2024 will be my last year. I support this, but I can’t confirm it 100%. I think there’s a good chance that it is, because I know how my body is, but what I’ll be like in four months, I don’t know.

“I’m not sure what I’ll do in 2024 because it will completely change depending on what my goals or others’ goals are. If I don’t recover, that’s one thing, but if I can compete at the level that excites me, that’s another… I hope that in mid-November I will know how I am physically. “These are the deadlines that we have set,” he said.

“It would be nice to leave tennis at the Olympics if you are ready for it. But I’m careful. If I really feel that I have a chance to win at Roland Garros, I will have to plan everything and make a schedule for it. If I’m not around, I might still do a farewell tour for sentimental reasons. But I still don’t have the answer to these questions,” continued Rafa Nadal.

Therefore, the Spaniard does not know where he will play his last game. “Because I don’t know when that will be either. What if it turns out that after some time I’m perfect and want to continue?… I live day by day to try to give myself the opportunity to make a decision. I’ll work, and We’ll see. My head will depend on my physical condition,” he answered in conclusion when asked about this.