Rafael Nadal expressed his gratitude after the wave of affection he received in Riyadh, on the occasion of The Six King Slam.
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I will miss everything, almost 20 years of career. I played in the most beautiful places in the world, the ones I dreamed of as a child. I wanted to become a professional and I achieved my dream. I thank my team and the tennis family. I feel lucky. I have been very lucky, I always had the feeling that they loved me very much in all the tournaments I participated in throughout my career. It's hard to describe, but the energy and personal satisfaction you feel when you feel the support of people is something very special, I can't thank everyone enough," he said.
In addition to the rich financial compensation for his participation in this exhibition tournament, the Spanish champion was also honored with a precious item, in recognition of his legendary career. A racket made entirely of gold weighing 3 kg, worth around $250 thousand dollars.
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A generous gift from the oil lords that was certainly appreciated by Rafa, who will probably keep it together with his 22 Slams. A gift that demonstrates the financial power of Saudi Arabia and the economic value it can bring to tennis. Just think that Jannik Sinner earned $6 million, winning the tournament. What the Arab Investment Fund can invest is something unprecedented, which could bring more money and therefore (perhaps) more equity in the economic distribution of resources among all tennis players.
Only the Davis Cup Finals between Rafael Nadal and his definitive retirement from competitive tournaments remains.
On the future and his new life without tennis, the Spaniard said: "It will be a big change in my life. I need time to decide what I want to do in the future, since I was a child I have lived as a professional athlete. Now I am focusing on preparing for the Davis Cup and enjoying these last months as a professional. I do not want to put pressure on myself, I will just need time to reflect."
Rafael Nadal's message to Novak Djokovic and his fans
Only the Davis Cup Finals between Nadal and his definitive retirement from competitive tournaments remains. The Spanish champion nevertheless showed off his skills in the Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia, battling against Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals and with his long-time rival Djokovic in the 3-4 final.
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"It was a battle, obviously very different from the ones we had on tour, but it was fun especially in the second set. I didn't play well enough in the first set, because I haven't played almost anyone since the Olympics. It took me a while to find my rhythm. Playing against Nole is always exciting because we have an incredibly long history," he said in a press conference.
The winner of 22 Grand Slam titles later spoke about the support he has received from fans around the world: "I've been very lucky, I've always had the feeling that they loved me so much in all the tournaments I've played in my career. It's hard to describe, but the energy and the personal satisfaction you feel when you feel the support of people is something very special, I can't thank everyone enough."
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On the future and his new life without tennis, he added: "It will be a big change in my life. I need time to decide what I want to do in the future, since I was a child I have lived as a professional athlete. Now I am focusing on the preparation of the Davis Cup and enjoying these last months as a professional. I do not want to put pressure on myself, I will just need time to reflect."
It is still unclear what role the Spanish champion will have in the team led by David Ferrer for the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga: whether he will take to the court in singles, doubles or whether he will decide to give space to the others if he does not feel ready.
"On an emotional level I will definitely be yes; on a physical and tennis level I still have a month ahead of me. I will prepare, I will try to be in shape to help the team win. If I feel ready and the captain thinks the same, he will decide. If I do not feel ready, then I will be the first to move away from the singles and see how else I can be useful. First of all I have to feel competitive to step onto the court and compete, then you can win or lose, this is part of the sport. If I am not 100% or I am far from being able to win my match, I will not step onto the court." Nadal explained in a press conference after the match lost against Carlos Alcaraz at the Six Kings Slam.
