Rafael Nadal declared he needs time to make a decision on his tennis future after his doubles defeat alongside Carlos Alcaraz at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The Spanish dream team’s hopes of winning a medal in the men’s doubles ended as they fell to a 2-6, 4-6 quarter-final loss to Americans Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram on Wednesday night.
It was Nadal‘s final match at the Olympics and it may have also been his last appearance on Court Philippe-Chatrier — the stadium in which he has won 14 French Open titles. The 38-year-old Mallorcan is an Olympic gold medallist in both singles (2008) and doubles (2016).
Nadal and Alcaraz thrilled tennis fans with their victories over Argentine and Dutch teams in their first two matches, but they were outplayed by the seasoned American doubles specialists as they lost serve three times and failed to break.
Here is everything Nadal said to the media after his doubles defeat with Alcaraz at Stade Roland Garros.
“I don’t know if this was the last time. Possibly yes”
NADAL: I’m happy with the love and support I receive here every time I step out on court. I don’t know if this was the last time [at Roland Garros]. Possibly, yes. One stage has ended for me: my objective was to focus on the Olympic Games and afterwards I’d have to decide, and that’s what I will do. Now I go home and rest and disconnect a bit. When I have [a clear mind], I will take the decision of what the next stage will be for me. See how much desire I have, how I feel about things, the inner strength I have to make one decision or another… and I will make it when I have to make it.
“I need my time. When I know what my next step is, I will let you know”
NADAL: I have total freedom, and I think I have tried hard throughout my life, to make the decision how and when I feel it. In that sense, I am a fairly calm person and I need my time. When I know what my next step is, I will let you know, but right now my next step is to go back home, spend time with my family and relax. These have been exciting months, because I have started playing tennis again; they have also been hard, because I have gone through many difficult moments, disappointments, and also beautiful moments… now I have to manage everything, analyse it well and see how I feel.
“If that’s the last time, I enjoyed it. I won enough in my career”
NADAL: If that’s the last time [here] for me, it’s an unforgettable feeling and emotions. They (the fans) give me the love and support every single second that I have been on court. It’s super, super special to feel that, particularly in this place. So I can’t really thank all of them enough for giving me the feelings I have inside myself and the emotions they make me feel. I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future, but if that’s the last time, I enjoyed it. I won enough in my career, I won much more than what I ever dreamed, so for me it’s about enjoying different experiences and for me, that’s another lifetime experience too, to share with Carlos – an amazing player that I think is going to be, of course, one of the best in history too.
“There’s no need to analyse much more, we weren’t good enough”
NADAL: I haven’t been at the level I needed to fight for medals in the singles. In the doubles, we were playing at a very good level, but today we weren’t accurate. As I’ve said every day, the matches go by very quickly and every little detail has its impact. Today we didn’t start well and we weren’t able to take the match to the limit. The experience has been positive, we generated everything we had to generate to give ourselves a chance, we had a fantastic relationship, we shared a lot off the court and on it we were happy, motivated, excited. It couldn’t be, there’s no more to it, today we weren’t accurate. For me, there’s no need to analyse much more, we weren’t good enough. The only thing I have to analyse now is when I have the flight back home (laughs), but I’m taking away an experience and memories for life.
“If I don’t have the desire, strength, or motivation to continue, I will hang up my racket”
NADAL: My future as a professional is affected by the desire and the feeling that I have when I have to make the decision. I had set the Olympics as a goal since the beginning of the year and this cycle has ended. Now I will return home, to disconnect, and when I have decided what my next step is, whether with a racket in my hand or without, I will let you know. If I don’t have the desire, strength, or motivation to continue, I will hang up my racket.
“[US Open] looks difficult”
NADAL: (On whether he will play in the United States) It looks like not but I’m going to let you know soon. For me now, I can’t give you a clear answer, I need some time. But for me it looks difficult.
