A shattered dream is enough to blaze a fire in the hearts of even the simplest men. When it comes to marking moments of intensity in the tennis world, Rafael Nadal would probably be the last man to be featured in the list. While the Spaniard was determined to secure an Olympic medal before hanging his racquet for good, Novak Djokovic didn’t just end his singles campaign but also took a hit on his dreams. As things took an unexpected turn, the world witnessed a rarely exposed side of Rafa, the fierce one.

Novak Djokovic recently defeated Rafael Nadal with a dominant scoreline of 6-1, 6-4. This win marked Djokovic’s 31st victory against Nadal in their 60 head-to-head matches. The Serbian easily dominated the first set, but Rafa fought back in the second set and therefore made the situation even at 4-4 before Djokovic took control again to win the set and match.

After the gripping showdown, Nadal indulged in a conversation with Marca about his future in tennis. Frustrated with repetitive questions about his retirement, he shared his thoughts on the topic. “I can’t think about that all day. I come here and you ask me the same thing every day,” Nadal said. He explained that focusing on potential retirement makes it hard to regain an optimal level of play.

The Spaniard has struggled with physical problems over the past two years, including hip surgery that forced him to stay out of the scene. “If you always ask me about withdrawal, it’s impossible because you are always with the noise behind your ear that doesn’t let you develop what you need to make the real decision.”

Nadal also expressed his desire to enjoy the game and stay competitive throughout the time that he spends on tour. “If I no longer want to play, I will let you know and that’s it,” he stated. Rafa’s determination to win an Olympic medal before retiring added weight to this loss. Despite his frustration, he remained focused on making decisions based on his feelings and physical condition after the Olympics. However, besides this, the Spaniard also took a moment to admit that the Serb was better than him throughout.

Rafael Nadal accepts Novak Djokovic’s dominance during the “last dance”

Rafael Nadal was seen enjoying a moment where he dominated the Serb throughout their 60th showdown. While the Serb’s victory was clear, the Spaniard managed to be calm enough to accept the defeat. “One player was much better than the other and we have to accept it. For an hour it was hard to digest everything that was happening, although I did it,” he said.

Along with that, Rafa also tried to decode the reason behind his defeat, saying, “I was not able to play at the level I needed and he has not given me practically anything either. I did not had the continuous shot quality to create problems for him… I do not have the legs of 15 years ago. So without the ball quality and the legs of 15 years ago, you’re not going to create problems for the best in history, right?”

Regardless of the victory and defeat, the whole tennis community and the fans were happy to witness the two legends go against each other for time last time probably. While there’s no clear update from Rafael Nadal’s end, the time of his exit is yet to be determined.