Rafael Nadal retirement watch: Spaniard not planning on halting after French Open 2024; features on Wimbledon entry list
Rafael Nadal seems to have no plans to retire after the 2024 French Open, as his name was included on this year's Wimbledon entry list. The Spaniard has won two singles titles at the grass-court Major.
Nadal made a return to the tennis court this year at the Brisbane International, where he had a quarterfinal run. However, he had to withdraw from the Australian Open due to a micro tear in a muscle he suffered during the tournament, and subsequently pulled out of the Indian Wells Masters as well.
The former World No. 1 then made a comeback at the Barcelona Open, advancing to the second round, and followed it up with a strong performance at the Madrid Open, reaching the fourth round. He most recently competed at the Italian Open but was eliminated in the second round after losing to Hubert Hurkacz.
Nadal, who is potentially playing his final season as a professional player, is next scheduled to compete the 2024 French Open, a Grand Slam he has won a record 14 times. However, it looks like the Spaniard may not plan to stop after his campaign at Roland Garros as his name has been included on the entry list for Wimbledon 2024.
Rafael Nadal has claimed the singles title twice at Wimbledon. His first title win came in 2008, when he defeated five-time defending champion Roger Federer 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-7(8), 9-7 in the final. His second Wimbledon title triumph was in 2010, when he defeated Tomas Berdych 6–3, 7–5, 6–4.
Rafael Nadal will also compete at Laver Cup 2024 after the Wimbledon Championships
After his 2024 Wimbledon campaign, Rafael Nadal will also be competing at the Laver Cup where he will represent Team Europe. The event is scheduled to take place from September 20 to 22 at the Uber Arena in Berlin .
The Spaniard has expressed his excitement about returning to Berlin for the 2024 Laver Cup. He fondly recalled his past experiences at the tournament, especially playing doubles with Roger Federer in 2022. He stated that he is eager to help Team Europe reclaim the cup
“I am very happy to be playing Laver Cup in Berlin for Team Europe. I have some really special memories from my Laver Cup experiences, including all the emotions from London two years ago playing alongside Roger for the last time.I’m looking forward to going to Berlin and helping Team Europe win back the Laver Cup,” he said, as per the Laver Cup's official website.
This will mark Rafael Nadal's fourth appearance at the Laver Cup, with his debut being in the inaugural edition held in 2017 at the O2 Arena in Prague, Czech Republic. He then participated in the third edition in 2019 at Palexpo in Geneva, Switzerland.
The Spaniard's most recent appearance at the tournament was in 2022 at The O2 Arena in London, England, where he teamed up with Roger Federer for the latter's farewell match. The pair lost to the American duo of Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe.