Boris Becker has revealed that he thinks Rafael Nadal will only return to the sport if he sees "a chance for himself" to still "win tournaments."
22-time Grand Slam champion Nadal has been out of action in the tennis world since this year's Australian Open back in January, where the 37-year-old crashed out in his second-round match against Mackenzie McDonald.
The Spaniard has since been forced to miss the rest of the 2023 season due to a hip injury but has said that he will return in 2024, most likely at the Australian Open. However, he also suggested that his retirement may not be too far away.
Speaking on Eurosport Germany's podcast Das Gelbe vom Ball, former World No. 1 Becker says Nadal will base his return on whether or not he believes he can win more titles.
"Nadal is a role model for everyone. Millions of fans around the world want to see him back on the tennis court and not in the press conference, where he declares that he may not be able to play again.
"I also believe that he would never come back if he doesn't see a chance for himself. So, he's not coming back to play the first or second round, but to win tournaments," he said.
Becker added that while it may be difficult for the Spaniard to get started on his comeback journey, once he has a few matches under his belt he will be able to pick up the pace - with a big goal being the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
"His ultimate goal will always be Paris, will possibly be the [2024] Olympics in Paris, which will be played on clay at Roland Garros. But for that he needs the legendary match practice, and he can only get that at tournaments.
"So it's hard to get started. He'll get a bit of a kicking at first, but then we'll go into February - if he stays healthy - and March and April, when it's played on clay. Then he'll have had his ten, 15 matches - and I would never bet against Rafael Nadal on clay," Becker continued.
You can say what you want about the GOAT debate but there is one thing that is 100% sure. No one brought as much passion than this 👑 to tennis and sport. The intensity, all the sacrifices, comebacks, tough moments and unforgettable memories. No one will ever be like Rafa Nadal !
