Rafael Nadal: Retirement of 22-time Grand Slam champion ‘a punch in the gut’ says tearful Boris Becker

Eurosport expert Boris Becker has labelled Rafael Nadal’s pending retirement as “a punch in the gut” after the Spaniard announced that he would end his career after the Davis Cup finals in Malaga in November. Nadal will end his career with 22 Grand Slam titles, including 14 French Open crowns, winning 112 matches of the 116 he played on the Parisian clay.

Boris Becker has admitted that Rafael Nadal’s retirement announcement came as “a punch in the gut”.
The Spaniard announced on Thursday that he would be calling time on a distinguished career that included 22 Grand Slam titles, with a record 14 French Opens.
Nadal, now 38, will make his final appearance at the Davis Cup finals in Malaga in November, with his last singles match a defeat to long-term rival Novak Djokovic in the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Eurosport expert Becker, a six-time major champion, reflected on the ‘Big Three’ of tennis – Nadal, Djokovic, and Roger Federer – nearing its end.
“When I heard it, it was a punch in the gut,” Becker told Eurosport of Nadal’s retirement.
“I think the decision is the right one. What hasn’t Rafael Nadal won? He was world No. 1 for 209 weeks. He finished the year as No. 1 five times.
“Among the 22 titles were a whopping 14 Roland-Garros titles. He also won every other Grand Slam at least twice. There are no real numbers.

Becker said that even when he first met a teenage Nadal with a double-handed forehand, he was still “blown away” by the Spaniard’s fighting spirit. “I personally got to know Rafael Nadal many decades ago when I was fourteen or fifteen,” Becker reminisced. “His uncle Toni introduced him to me. Back then, Rafa also played with both hands on his forehand. What did I think of his young nephew? I was always blown away, even then. “What really has to be emphasised is what sets him apart: his uncompromising attitude, his ambition, his motivation, his willingness to fight. The fact that he was always prepared to simply run one step further than the other. It was incredible how many balls he ran after and ultimately always played to the end.

“What he represents for Spain, what he represents for world sport, the way he performed, a role model for the younger generation, how to deal with victory and defeat, how to constantly try to improve, to not be satisfied with yesterday, always to go one step further tomorrow. That is what really sets him apart. “I also have tears in my eyes when I say these sentences, because there will never be anyone else who even comes close to Rafael Nadal. As I always say so beautifully at the end: ¡Vamos Rafa!”