Holger Rune impressed by Nadal’s commitment: "You watch him train and think, don’t retire"

Holger Rune spoke about Rafael Nadal’s retirement, stating that the Spaniard “shouldn’t retire.” The Danish player was practicing with the 22-time Grand Slam champion in Riyadh during the Six Kings Slam and commented that Nadal is still at a competitive level.

Nadal is preparing for his retirement at the upcoming Davis Cup Final next month in Malaga, which will be his last official tournament. Recently, he appeared at the Six Kings Slam, and although it was an exhibition event, it marked the Spaniard’s first appearance since announcing his retirement.

Rune and Nadal did not face each other in Riyadh, but they did train together before the exhibition. Recently, during the Paris Masters, Rune expressed his surprise about Nadal’s retirement after seeing the Spaniard’s level and shared the inspiration he felt from being on the court with both Nadal and Djokovic.

“Do I get inspiration from other players, or do I just focus on myself? A bit of both,” Rune commented. “I think inspiration is important, but I always try to be a beast, whether it’s in training, preparation, or a match – I always want to push myself.

“You get inspiration from players like Djokovic or Rafa Nadal. I remember training with Rafa in Riyadh, and it’s surprising: this guy is almost retired, and he trains with such intensity that you think, ‘You shouldn’t retire,’” the Dane said. “He’s had an incredible career and achieved so much. It’s no wonder that both Rafa and Novak give their all in every training session.”

Rune also mentioned that he enjoyed the Six Kings Slam despite an early loss to Carlos Alcaraz. “It was an interesting experience,” Rune joked. “It was a lot of fun; it was great to compete in such a small event.”

“I only played one match against Carlos, but being able to train with the guys all week and spend time with them off the court – I already know them, but it brought us closer. We had many activities together, and it was really fun.”