Casper Ruud took advantage of the physical problems of Carlos Alcaraz, performing solid tennis and beating the young Spaniard in the first round robin match at the ATP Finals.
In the post-match press conference, the Norwegian touched on many interesting topics, also talking about Rafael Nadal's farewell, which will take place next week at the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga. Ruud admitted honestly that the decision of the legendary Spaniard took him by surprise.
"Honestly Rafa took me by surprise, I thought he would give it another try, maybe play on clay again next year. But he has been struggling with a lot of injuries and pain, it's something that knocks you down mentally. Anyway I think it will be a nice ending even if it will be sad and there will be some tears. I hope Spain gets to the final and so I can enjoy it a little longer. I won't go to Malaga to watch his last tournament. I have played and watched enough tennis this season. I think I will watch him on TV but hopefully on a beach and quite relaxed! I think it was inevitable that both him and Roger and Andy would get to this point. Novak said it too and I hope he doesn't retire because he has a lot of fans. Among players it's a special thing, we saw it at the French Open when many went to watch the challenge between Nadal and Zverev, it's rare to see so many champions watching another match," said the Norwegian.
With his Saudi experience at the Six Kings Slam over, the time is approaching for Nadal to say goodbye to tennis forever, with his last appearance scheduled for the highly anticipated Davis Cup Finals in Malaga.
In a recent interview with AS, the 22-time Slam champion retraced the notable moments of a career that will go down in history, and not only in this sport. The 22-time Slam champion began by recounting the emotions during the announcement of his retirement. The Spanish champion also recalled his best moments, citing his success at Roland Garros 2006, which came after a foot injury that threatened to compromise his career, Wimbledon 2008 and the Australian Open 2022.
"What I'm most proud of is having finished my career and having left tennis with the satisfaction of feeling appreciated and loved. It's the satisfaction of having done things well, not only by hitting the racket, but also on a human level, which in the end is much more important. And the other thing I'm most satisfied with, the only thing that in the end has always mattered to me, is finishing tournaments and returning home with the peace of mind of having done what was in my hands to do it as best as possible. Even if you took it for granted, the day you announce it, the day you record the video. It's been many years and it has been an important part of my life, since I can remember. It's a change, let's not kid ourselves: tennis has given me joy, happiness, very emotional moments. And when it's over, it's over and it doesn't come back. It's logical that, when it comes to communicating it, no matter how much you internalize it, you realize that you can't go back, there's nothing else. But, well, I recorded it a week before it came out and it had to be done. In the end, it was incredible that a boy from a small town, from Manacor, managed to have a long and, obviously, good career. I started like all boys, with the luck that when I was little I had my uncle Toni and a family who helped me with everything, and from there many things were born that meant that in some way I could fight for what I wanted. Later, although many things went in my favor, but also many others against me, I always managed, somehow, to find the way or the path to move forward with real possibilities of success. Regrets? Of course I would change things, obviously. Anyone who says no, that nothing would change, is deeply arrogant. Obviously, I have made many mistakes in my career and also in my life. You accept it and move on. I've always tried to do things the way I felt and with good intentions. It's always difficult to find the perfect balance, but obviously, if I had to go back now, I would tell you exactly the points where I wouldn't repeat what I did," said the legendary Spaniard.
