ANALYSIS: What are Rafael Nadal's retirement options as Saudi Arabia, Laver Cup both mooted

Rumours about Rafael Nadal retiring sometime this year are growing stronger, so let's explore some of the potential retirement options that have been floated for Nadal.

Rafael Nadal is closer to retiring from tennis than winning a Grand Slam. That's been true for a while now, and it's why a lot of people are speculating on how and when it might happen. It shouldn’t come as a surprise because we've recently seen that happen with Andy Murray.

We've known for a while that he was getting closer to retirement, and while he refused to talk about it, everybody knew it was coming. He then finally announced it, and the talks died down because there was no reason to speculate anymore. We're in that stage with Nadal now, as we kind of know it's coming, but we just don't know when and where it will happen.

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The whole topic is a bit complicated because Nadal has taken a couple of stances on it. Initially, he announced that he was going to retire at the end of 2024. Since then, the Spaniard has floated a couple of times the possibility that he will continue past 2024, but he's never really outright confirmed that he would.

He always maintains that he doesn't know yet, which is fair. He probably doesn't know. Part of that might be him hoping that his body will feel better, which would allow him to return to his former level. Part of that could also be that he knows when it will happen but doesn't really want to say yet. We won't know until he tells us.

That doesn't stop people from speculating, though. His level this year when he played was okay at best. When you're Rafael Nadal with a stated goal of playing competitive tennis as you have for much of your career, okay, that doesn't really cut it. It's not what you grind daily for. It's not why you prologue your career at the age of 38. So, while the wins in Bastad and the win over Marton Fucsovics at Roland Garros were solid, it's not why he came back to tennis.

We know that because he got a chance to play Novak Djokovic at the Olympics, and it wasn't really a pretty sight. He had a good push in the second set, but for the most part, he was easily outplayed by Djokovic, who was on an entirely different level. Nadal even admitted it after the match, saying that Djokovic was better than him in every facet of the match. It truly was that way, and many took it as the final nail in the coffin of Nadal's hopes.

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It's why the retirement talk has been so prevalent since then. There are some indications that Nadal was heavily disappointed by his performance, and it made him rethink everything. Many analysts and tennis fans considered it a match that likely ended it for Nadal. It's not that crazy because he was playing on the best court for him style-wise against a direct competitor whom he wanted to challenge. Not being able to remain competitive in that match was a huge letdown for Nadal.

Withdrawing from the US Open only fueled the fire because if Nadal's words of still enjoying tennis were true, he likely would have played tennis at the US Open. It's not the best court for him, but skipping it over doesn't make too much sense if he truly wants to continue playing. As of right now, his next event will be the Laver Cup, and that brings up the topic of how the retirement might happen.

Could he retire at the Laver Cup?

Laver Cup

One often floated idea this year has been a retirement at the Laver Cup. The premise is pretty simple: it's where Roger Federer retird two years ago. Having Rafael Nadal retire at the event would certainly be an interesting parallel between the duo. Roger Federer is somebody who basically came up with the Laver Cup and would probably love it if Nadal retired at the event. It would be a huge publicity boost for the event, further pushing it up in the event echelon.

Despite its exhibition format, it's carved out a pretty good spot on the prestige rankings. The worst thing about it is that its position in the calendar comes pretty close to the US Open, and the Davis Cup happens around that time as well. It would probably become even more popular if they could somehow move the event to a better spot in the calendar.

In any case, Nadal has already confirmed his participation at the event. He was announced earlier this year and confirmed recently that he will indeed play at the Cup. Some have taken that as a minor confirmation that he might simply retire there. Who knows, maybe Roger Federer will unretire for a doubles match with Nadal to create an even more identical parallel between the retirement ceremonies of both.

There are lots of possibilities, but those who believe that Nadal will retire this year are certainly in favour of this option. It would be a really nice way to send off a legend, and maybe in 2-3 years, Djokovic will complete it with his own retirement. One can dream.

Saudi Arabia

One deeply unpopular idea floated this year was that Nadal might retire in Saudi Arabia. The premise here is also very simple; he'd get a massive payout for choosing that country as the place where he says goodbye to tennis. There are very few indications that this might happen, but it's not the most crazy idea. Nadal is already the tennis ambassador in Saudi, accepting that role earlier this year. Because of that, he got a lot ot heat from tennis fans worldwide, but as always, outrage dies down with time.

The bottom line is that Nadal isn't opposed to dealing with Saudi Arabia, which is the first obstacle. The country has a problematic human rights record, and while things appear to be changing, it doesn't enjoy a very good reputation in most of the Western World. That didn't prevent them from organising an exhibition event later this year in October called the Six Kings, where Nadal is set to play. Joining him will be Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinnner, Daniil Medvedev and Holger Rune.

Many think his retirement could happen at this event with a possible final match against Novak Djokovic. Or maybe some doubles with Djokovic? Who knows, but what's pretty clear is that the Saudi government would love that publicity while both Djokovic and Nadal would be handsomely compensated for signing up for such a thing. As we've seen in golf, anything is possible.

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Davis Cup

Another potential retirement spot could be the Davis Cup. For most tennis fans, this is the preferred option because Nadal hasn't really played much in the Davis Cup recently. He delivered Spain a trophy many years ago, and playing for your country is something he's always taken great pride in.

What makes this option so compelling is that the Davis Cup Finals are held in Spain, so he'd get a chance to retire on native soil, which is certainly a preferred method for most tennis players. There is just something beautiful about doing it on native soil, and what better way than wearing the national shirt and playing for your country?

Spain hasn't yet qualified for the Davis Cup Finals, as the qualifiers are coming up next month, but it's widely expected that they'll find themselves there. With Carlos Alcaraz potentially playing as well, Spain could have a pretty good shot at winning that event. Nadal signing off with another Davis Cup trophy for Spain would certainly be a meaningful way to do so.

In a way, it would also be a poetic end because he could quite literally hand the reigns over to Alcaraz whom plenty have named as his successor.

Other options

Outside of these three options, some have suggested that Nadal could wait for next year's Roland Garros because he did say that he wasn't done with Roland Garros after losing at the Olympics. It's the court where he made the most history in tennis, so it's certainly the number one pick as to which venue would be the most fitting for him to say goodbye to tennis.

Madrid or Barcelona are other options, but the Spaniard already said his goodbyes at those venues, so it's unlikely he will play there again. So these are some of the most popular theories as to where he could possibly retire from the sport. They're all interesting options with evidence supporting them.

Overall, we'll just have to wait. Maybe he'll retire this year, maybe he won't. Much like Andy Murray, he's earned the right to do it however he wants, even if that is in Saudi Arabia. He's given the sport a lot, and tennis fans can choose to appreciate what he's done or not. He's going to go down as a legend regardless and one of the best players to ever hold a racquet.