Rafael Nadal currently seems to be stuck between his retirement plans and the urge to play on the courts that he loves. It hasn’t been long since the tennis star spread an array of emotions with his announcement that this season would be the last one of his professional career. While everyone knows that it was a hard-to-make decision, they still wish for a miracle to happen. However, it seems like there’s more than just the physical hardships compelling him to retire.

Rafa seemed to be firm when he confirmed his plans to take an exit. While his love for the sport always stood as a hope for him to reconsider, there appears to be a difference of opinion between Nadal and his team about when he should retire.

In a recent podcast dedicated to the intricacies of the upcoming French Open, renowned sports commentator Mary Carillo shared an inside story about Rafa. She mentioned that a friend of hers is working on a documentary about Nadal. Already starting to think that this was the major update? Well, there’s a lot more.

This project has involved extensive discussions with Nadal, his coaches, and his family, including his wife. Carillo revealed, “It sure seems like his team of family and coaches want the French Open to be his final appearance, but Rafa is fighting that; you know, he’s not ready to say yeah, I’m gonna this is the end for me.”

Nadal’s team appears to believe that ending his career at the French Open, where he has won a record 14 times, would be a fitting farewell. Despite this, Nadal himself doesn’t seem to be ready to call it quits. He has expressed interest in playing doubles at the Olympics with Carlos Alcaraz and has confirmed his participation in the Laver Cup. Carillo also commented on this, saying, “Everyone seems to now want to retire at the Laver Cup, you know after Roger did. Now it sounds like Rafa wants to do that.”

Rafa’s family has seen him struggle a lot. During his glorious career, he achieved notable feats but also had to go through severe injuries that took enough time to heal. While it is normal for any loving family to be concerned about their loved ones’ well-being, Rafael Nadal’s urge to keep playing is also justified. Although this update might seem to be a bit indirect, the Spaniard himself lacked a stable response upon being asked about his plans to retire.

Rafael Nadal comes up with nothing but an apology about his exit plans

The fans are consistently worried about Rafael Nadal’s retirement plans. While everyone thought he would wrap it up after the French Open, the tennis star gave assurance by announcing his participation at the Laver Cup. On being asked about the viability of the claim that this would be the last time he plays Roland Garros, Nadal seemed to be lacking answers.

“Is it my last Roland-Garros? It’s very probable yes, but I can’t confirm 100%. I don’t want to close the door,” he said, expressing an urge to spend some more time being surrounded by the fascinating crowd.

The statement seems to be enough to make fans believe that Rafa isn’t ready to give up yet. While everyone already has an idea about his wrapped schedule for the ongoing season, the focus should be on enjoying his games, regardless of whether he expects retirement sooner or later.