World No. 1 Rafael Nadal, who had a super successful 2017 – winning the French and US Open titles has revealed that unlike his good friend Roger Federer, he doesn’t see himself playing the game in his late thirties.
The year 2017 belonged to the Majorcan superstar as he gave a fitting reply to his critics by reclaiming the No. 1 ranking ahead of Swiss maestro Federer after a chronic knee injury didn’t allow him to play his best tennis in 2016.
Discussing his future plans with Spanish website cadenaser.com, Nadal said: “If you ask me if I see myself playing at 37, I would say no, we will enjoy these moments that we know are finite, when the time comes to say goodbye, it will come in. I have no fear.”
The 31-year-old claimed that winning titles is not the only reason that gives him joy. Rather, it is the feeling of being competitive on the court that makes him happy. The southpaw confessed: “That’s the priority, then you win or lose, but the best thing is that practically every week that I’ve been in tournaments I’ve felt with the feeling of being able to win .”
Taking a subtle dig at his haters, Nadal said: “I do not find motivation in criticism or outside doubt, I do not have a spirit of revenge, it would not help me to play better, one must have a cool head, I have a personal motivation and I always see the positive things that people bring to me.”
He added: “I understand that the doubts are logical, I also have them, every day I doubt myself, it’s a reality, then I go out to play and I have confidence that things will turn out well.”
