A choice of passion or profit? Nadal's impending farewell dilemma with legacy tarnishing claims

French journalist Benoit Maylin sees Rafael Nadal as tarnishing his image of a champion if he decides to retire at the Saudi exhibition that is planned in October. This after his recent decision to snub the US Open and not play with suggestions he would retire.

Initially Nadal clapped back at suggestions of retirement in similar vein to Andy Murray before him. “You want me to retire every day guys, you ask me for that. I am trying to do my best. I cannot live every single day with the feeling that it’s going to be or not going to be my last match," he said.

But speaking on Sans Filet, Maylin hit out at the potential that he will play in Saudi Arabia if he ends his career this season. Some believe that Nadal snubbed the US Open to end his career at either the Laver Cup or his event after that which is the 6 Kings Cup albeit with Holger Rune who has never won a Grand Slam.

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The rest like Nadal have won Slams and with Nadal being a Saudi ambassador, Maylin sees it as whoever can stump up the most cash to have his farewell as opposed to being a fairytale story.

“Who’s going to be able to afford Nadal’s farewell? It should have been at Roland Garros this year or at the Olympics, the symbolism would have been strong but he didn’t want to,” Maylin said on Sans Filet.

“[Will his farewell be] at the Laver Cup, as with Federer, who lined up the zeros to get it in September? In Saudi Arabia, where he became the ambassador of their tennis federation this year and who could organise an exhibition worth millions?

“As long as it’s nothing like that, it would tarnish the image of a champion renowned for his ethics.”

Instead Maylin believes that the Davis Cup Finals should be the end point albeit Spain have yet to actually qualify. “So if he has to stop this year, let him do it in Spain, defending his country’s colours in the Davis Cup, with Carlos Alcaraz. That would be beautiful.”

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