Rafael Nadal was left frustrated by journalists at the Paris Olympic Games after he was well beaten 6-1, 6-4 by his rival Novak Djokovic. It was their 60th meeting and raised a lot of questions too about Nadal's future.
But they were questions that he was quick to bat away as he lamented the amount of times that he has been asked about retirement. He cut a frustrated figure as he said that everyday he is asked about is future.
Nadal has not given a definitive retirement date albeit it seemed to be this year that he would be walking away albeit that has yet to be confirmed. He has said at times that certain tournaments are his last while others like Rome and Paris where he lost early he may return to.
It is more for Nadal when his body decides to give up on him and decides that he cannot play at a top level anymore. Questioning that was rife too after his loss.
"Every day, huh? Every day you want me to retire every day guys. You ask me for that every single day," said Nadal. "I am trying to do my best every single day. I answer but I cannot answer every single day with the feeling that it’s going to be or not going to be my last match.
"I come here, I try my best, I play and when I decide to stop playing or when I decide to keep going, I will let you know. I don’t know, I just try my best every single day, trying to enjoy a thing that I have been enjoying for so much time."
"I have been suffering a lot of injuries the last two years so if I feel that I am not competitive enough to keep going or physically I’m not ready enough to keep going, I will stop and I will let you know," he added. "But I mean, I don’t think every day about if I am retiring or not."
"That’s part of life. Everything have a beginning, everything have an end. I will miss playing tennis at the competitive stages as probably all the professionals that have been playing tennis for almost all their lives and they really like what they do.
"I’m a player that I like what I do and of course I’m going to miss the adrenaline of playing but you know, guys, I cannot complain. I have been playing in all these courts for 20 years, fighting for the most important things.
"I achieved much more than I ever dreamed. If that’s the last match here or when it’s going to be the last match here, I’m going to accept [it] in peace, I give my best, I can’t complain anymore."
Rafa Nadal loses to Novak Djokovic in likely their final meeting. This was also likely the last Olympics match of his career. It’s difficult to put into words everything this man means to tennis. Every time he’s stepped on the court since he was a teenager, he’s reminded all…
