World No. 1 Rafael Nadal has made a surprise admission regarding his retirement, claiming he wanted to retire much earlier, but have continued to play because it makes him happy.
Nadal could lose his No. 1 spot in the ATP rankings next week if reigning Australian Open champion Roger Federer reaches the semifinals or better at the tournament in Rotterdam. Federer, who is just 155 points behind Nadal, sought a wildcard to enter the 500 event. If the Swiss maestro manages to accomplish the feat in the Netherlands, he will become the oldest World No. 1 in the sport.
French Open champion Nadal, on the other hand is still recovering from a thigh injury, which he sustained during his quarterfinal loss to Croatian Marin Cilic at the Aussie Open in Melbourne. The Spanish superstar is scheduled to make his highly anticipated return to action in Acapulco at the end of February.
However, the 16-time Grand Slam winner, who will be 32 in June, is working extremely hard to get back in shape to fight for the game’s biggest titles yet again. He isn’t too concerned about his ranking right now and is positive about his chances of winning major trophies when he will be back on the tour. The Majorcan also claimed that he was enjoying his life on the circuit and will continue to compete for silverware for many years to come.
He said: “I’m not tired of playing; I’m fortunate and happy to be in this situation at 31 years old.
“Years ago, I didn’t think I’d be where I am today. I figured that at this point, I’d be retired and dedicating myself to something else.
“But now, I’m keeping the illusion alive that I can still get better and better.
“I still have the drive to get up every morning and train with the aim to improve.
“For as long as that lasts, I’ll keep enjoying my time on the Tour and competing week in and week out.”
