As is commonly expected, Rafael Nadal He announced yesterday that he would not attend US Open 2024The Spanish champion has previously said it would be difficult to see him here. new Yorkwhere he will compete in the final Slam of the season. His final appearance at the US Open will probably be in 2022, when he will be defeated in the last 16 by Frances Tiafoe in the iconic Arthur Ashe.

Having failed to achieve much in recent months, the 22-time Grand Slam champion has been thinking hard about his future. The Spanish legend, 2024 Paris Olympicswhere he was soundly defeated by his arch-rival Novak Djokovic in the second round.

Rafa looks far from his peak form and has no chance of winning any major titles at the moment. The former world number one has suffered a number of injuries in the last two years and it is not easy to regain the right feeling at this age, but fans hope he can finish his legendary career.

Rafa skips US Open

The next event that Nadal will attend is Laver Cupprestigious exhibition commissioned by Roger Federer It will take place in Berlin at the end of September. Many fans and experts are wondering if Rafa will choose this event to announce his retirement, emulating what the Swiss legend did two years ago (at the O2 Arena in London).

Rafael Nadal’s career could soon be over. The Spanish is far from past levels, his body is in trouble and the signals are not positive. “Hello everyone, today I am writing to inform you that I have decided not to compete in this year’s US Open – a place with great memories” – Rafa wrote yesterday. “I will miss those electric and special night sessions in NYC at Ashe, But I don’t think I can give my 100% this time.. Special thanks to all my US fans, I will miss you all and see you next time. Good luck to all for the always awesome US Open! My next event will be the Laver Cup in Berlin” – added.

In the latest episode of his podcast, the former American star Andy Roddick Speaking about Rafa’s future, he said: “It’s hard for me to believe he’ll step up and have another go at the French Open, but I’ve been wrong about him before and any analyst who has an opinion is just speculating. We don’t know, we’re not part of his inner circle.

I definitely don’t tick like the greatest players of all time“I can’t understand it, but I don’t know if he wants to compete for the title at Bastad. I don’t know if that’s his path. We’ll see. We’re all better when he’s around. Hopefully we’ll see him in the grand finals again. I don’t know. I feel like this could be the end. The Laver Cup could be a celebration.”

Retirement may be near

Rafa was heartbroken when he received another question about his retirement during the 2024 Paris Olympics. The 22-time Grand Slam champion is doing his best to return to the top level, but his level is still far from what he wants.

The ATP legend and leading analyst speaks to Eurosport Boris Becker He told the Spaniard: “It’s a very personal decision. Tennis is his livelihood and something he has loved to do for a long time with great success. We have to give him the time he needs. We are not in his shoes. He knows he is not playing at the level he was playing a few years ago, but he still loves to compete. We shouldn’t tell him what to do next..

I hope it’s a good ending. At some point, every individual athlete has to know the ending. He performed brilliantly here. The red carpet was rightly rolled out for him – an absolute sporting icon. People always talked about the Big Three – Nadal, Djokovic and Federer. They made tennis even more popular than it already was, they took tennis to a new level.”

Rafa’s career has been full of success despite the many injuries he has suffered over the last 20 years. No one expected Nadal to stay competitive for so longespecially after the events of recent years. The Spanish ace shocked everyone by winning the Australian Open and the French Open in 2022 before his downward spiral began. Injuries have been constant throughout his career.