Nadal retirement expected as ‘fragile’ Spaniard starts to ‘wind down’

Rafael Nadal has been tipped to start “winding down” as tennis legend Chris Evert weighed in on the latter stages of the Spaniard’s career. While the 18-time Major champion said she didn’t want to put Nadal into retirement with her comments, Evert admitted the 36-year-old will now start breaking down and becoming more “fragile” after his recent injury woes.

Nadal has struggled with injuries more than most throughout his career so far, and the issues appear to be piling up as he nears the final years of his time on the tour. The world No 9 is currently sidelined from a leg injury he picked up in Australia and that comes after problems with his foot, rib and abdomen in 2022.

And the 36-year-old has now been told that he must prioritise his body as it begins “breaking down”. Chris Evert told Eurosport that “the thing for Rafa looking ahead is really preserving his body” as she lauded Nadal’s motivation and desire to keep competing despite his increasing physical woes.

“I think motivation is big: to have that motivation year in and year out, to be the best you can be, win as many tournaments as you can, to have that motivation and not any dips in that, in your desire to compete,” the retired American star said. Although Evert thought Nadal’s injuries haven’t been at a career-threatening level, she still expects the 22-time Grand Slam champion to start coming away from the tour as his playing style takes a toll on his body.

Just in
Djokovic ‘used Billie Jean King and government sources’ in US bid [LATEST]

She added: “His injuries have not been too catastrophic, where he is out for a year, like a lot of these other players, but the thing for Rafa looking ahead is really preserving his body. He has been a warrior out there and there has been a lot of wear and tear because he gives 100 per cent in training and he gives 100 per cent in his matches.

“He is a very physical player, and again, his style is to just out-last, out-rally his opponent. So he has spent a lot of hours hitting balls and you have to wonder how the body is holding up as well as it is.”

As well as his injuries, the 68-year-old also thinks that entering parenthood will also have had an effect on Nadal’s career. “I think now that he is a father, he has a different perspective and he has something to go to after tennis,” she explained.

Don’t miss…
Andy Murray rules out ‘going nuts’ as Brit tips Wimbledon to U-turn [QUOTES]
Novak Djokovic given hope as US politician sends letter to Joe Biden [UPDATE]
Medvedev’s ‘impossible’ Indian Wells theory proven wrong by title run [ANALYSIS]

While Evert refused to declare Nadal’s retirement on his behalf, she admitted that he is becoming increasingly fragile as time goes on, saying: “His body has so much wear and tear that now a simple injury is not going to be simple anymore and they are going to come at a faster rate. I think you can safely say in the next few years, he will probably be winding down.

“I don’t want to retire anybody, but in the next few years, I think just because of the injuries and having a family, it would not surprise me if he started to wind down. The injuries have come in the last few years at a higher rate. So that is sort of a tell-tale sign that his body may be more fragile, maybe breaking down a little bit.. It is totally understandable with his style of play, and I don’t mean that in any kind of negative way, but the truth is in the pudding. I mean, he has been injured.”

Evert still backed him to remain motivated and looked ahead to the French Open – where Nadal is a 14-time champion – but she claimed it will be a big test for his body. “So again, I don’t think he needs to guard against the mental or emotional part of his game,” she said. “I think it is more just keeping his body as healthy as he can be. The French Open again, clay, longer rallies, longer matches, a target on his back. That is going to be a real challenge for him.”

Source: Read Full Article