Rafael Nadal said goodbye to the Barcelona tournament with a lapidary phrase

In the 71st edition of the Conde de Godó TrophyRafael Nadal suffered defeat for the fifth time in this competition against the Australian Álex de Minaur. In the second round of the Barcelona Open, Nadal said goodbye to his participation in future editions.

“The normal thing is that it was my last game at Godó”, mentioned the Spaniard after falling in two sets 7-5 and 6-1 against De Miñaur. In Barcelona, ​​Nadal had only lost five times, but this one was special. His family watched him from the stands and fans could already predict that, perhaps, this would be the last match he would play on Catalan soil.

And your future?

For Nadal, the objective currently is not to win matches, but to play them at a good level that reflects his sporting ability. “It is difficult for a player when you know that you are going to be able to fight us the entire game. It was not the time to look for heroics, but to be realistic and do things in the most logical and prudent way”

Many fans see the retirement of the Spanish tennis player as close. At 37 years old, it is clear that he seeks to recover his level, because, for him, “The important thing was just to play.” In addition, he mentioned that his goal in the Madrid Open, which begins on April 22, will depend on the development of the training sessions.

After his return to the Barcelona Open courts, he had won in the first round against Flavio Cobolli. In that first presentation, the tennis player received a standing ovation and gave hope for a great tournament on his return to the courts after his last injury in Brisbane.

However, the Spaniard is aware that he is not at his best level and his achievement on this track. “I have managed to win it twelve times, something unimaginable. This is tennis, a sport, and generations pass by. I have been lucky to write a beautiful story in this tournament, which had not been written before, and others will come to try to surpass it. Everything has a beginning and an end, it is not a drama, although it is logical that there is a little more sadness for not being able to return”

Regarding the following challenges that the season imposes on him, he mentioned that “The logical thing would be to try to take one more step in Madrid, not at the level of winning games, but of being able to fight for them. In Rome, a little more, and in Paris, let it be what God wants. “That will be the time to try no matter what happens.”

The man born in Manacor reached the top of the ATP rankings and positioned himself as one of the best in the sport. However, as a result of injuries and lack of consistency in recent seasons, he is currently ranked number 644.