“Everything has a beginning and an end,” Rafael Nadal said in a heartfelt statement following his 2024 Barcelona Open defeat to Alex de Minaur.
The renowned Spaniard thanked the “special” tournament for its blessings and acknowledged that saying goodbye “hurts.” He said that he “would have liked to fight for the title one more time.”
In what was likely his final encounter of the tournament, Rafael Nadal lost to world No. 11 Daniel de Minaur 7-5, 6-1 on Wednesday in the second round of the Barcelona Open.
At the ATP 500 event where he has won a record 12 times, the 22-time Grand Slam champion was met with an incredible ovation as he departed the court named after him.
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In his news conference following the game, the Mallorcan stated, “I take everything philosophically and analyze things correctly. I am an emotionally stable person.”
“The usual is that it was my final match at Godó (the Barcelona Open); you are all aware of the significance of this competition to my professional trajectory. For a very long time, this has been the championship event that Spain has seen.
“I have always respected the history here, as the greatest players in history have come through here.” Furthermore, the venue is a tennis club, which sets this competition apart from thethe great majority.
“I have had a great time playing here, experienced some wonderful moments, and I have won 12 times, which is unthinkable for me.”
After the match, Rafael Nadal said goodbye to Barcelona and reflected on his time there in a post he uploaded on Instagram.
“I participated in a court-specific, traditional, and classic competition on our circuit and had a great time doing it. The former world number one stated, “A place, a club, that saw me grow as a player and where I had so many joys.”
“Everything has an end and a beginning, and I would have preferred to compete for the crown once again. Even though it hurts, playing here has always been enjoyable, even today.Barcelona, thank you so much for everything. Many thanks for it.
After revealing that 2024 will probably be his last year of competition, Rafael Nadal plans to play in the Madrid Open, which begins on April 23. After that, he intends to participate in the Italian Open in Rome in preparation for what is widely believed to be his final participation at the French Open.
In his first match since January, the 14-time Roland Garros winner easily defeated Flavio Cobolli 6-2, 6-3 on Tuesday in the opening round in Barcelona.
Due to injury issues, the 37-year-old was forced to withdraw from four events after losing to Jordan Thompson in the quarterfinals in Brisbane in January. Since then, he has not participated in any competitions. In Brisbane, Rafael Nadal returned to action after nearly
