Rafael Nadal retirement hint dropped by Uncle Toni

Rafael Nadal will continue to play tennis as long as he feels he can win titles, according to his uncle Toni.

Nadal played a big part in the send-off given to Roger Federer at the Laver Cup last month, and the Swiss star’s retirement has prompted many of his rivals to face the realisation that their era is coming to an end.

This year, Rafael Nadal claimed he feared the French Open would be his last tournament as he battled a foot problem, although he seems to have overcome that at least for now.

“I think that as long as he feels he has a chance of winning, he will continue,” Toni Nadal told Dario AS of Rafa.

“When he sees that he has no options, if he goes to a tournament and has no chance of winning, I don’t think he will play. In the end, he has won too much to fold badly.

“How much time does Rafa have left? I don’t know, it will clearly depend on his rivals, on his body.

Some have suggested that the rise of Carlos Alcaraz could actually hasten the retirement of Rafael Nadal, especially if the teenager can start dominating the sport quickly.

Toni Nadal, though, says his nephew has always had to deal with challenges and the one presented by Alcaraz will be no different to the others.

“Rafael plays for him, he doesn’t think about whether Carlos Alcaraz, David Ferrer or even Djokovic is there.”

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