“I really will miss watching him on court” : Iga Swiatek addresses her feelings on Rafael Nadal’s retirement
The name Rafael Nadal has become a life of its own even outside of tennis, as his surprise retirement announcement affected millions of fans worldwide. But apart from his loyal fans, even professional players, many who grew up watching the Spaniard, have opened up about how they feel now that he will no longer compete professionally.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion is currently in Malaga practicing for the Davis Cup, the tournament in which he is set to retire next week. He also met with a few WTA players, including world no.2 Iga Swiatek, who revealed her brief conversation experience with the Spainard.
Iga Swiatek on Friday beat Paula Badosa 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-1, to advance to the quarter-finals of the Billie Jean King Cup. But before the matchup, she revealed that she was able to meet Rafael Nadal, but tried to avoid any long conversation so that she could focus on the match.
“Yeah, we actually met, I don’t know, like, five minutes before my match, so I wasn’t really in my talking mode. But it’s always nice to see Rafa,” said Swiatek during the post-match press conference.
“He’s a huge inspiration… I have mixed feelings, for sure” : Iga Swiatek
Swiatek has often expressed her deep admiration for Nadal, citing him as her tennis idol and a source of inspiration throughout her career. She has spoken highly of his work ethic and believes his fighting spirit is a major factor for motivation. Although not formal, the duo kind of share a mentor-mentee relationship as the Spainard has also acknowledged the Polish’s incredible talent.
The world no.2 also revealed in her post-match press conference that she will not be watching much tennis going forward now that the Spainard has retired, and that she would prefer watching Nadal’s earlier clashes instead.
“Honestly, he was the only player I watched, so I don’t know if I’m going to watch tennis at all now,” said the Polish.
“I’m going to watch online his matches, because — you know, I don’t know. I have mixed feelings, because I’m happy that he can start a new chapter, and I’m happy that also he can have a nice finish here on Davis Cup, a tournament that he loves and in Spain, you know,” she said. “But on the other hand, I really will miss watching him on court.” the 23-year-old added.
Nadal has obviously left a huge mark on the sport, and now that two of the ‘Big 3’ players have retired, the greatest era of professional tennis is coming to an end soon.
“Yeah, he’s a huge inspiration. Yeah, I have mixed feelings, for sure,” Swiatek said.
Accompanied by Carlos Alcaraz, Rafael Nadal will soon be entering the final tournament of his career, as Spain face the Netherlands on November 19, with the winner going to the semi-finals.
