Carlos Moyà: “Rafa leaves with his head held high and without any reproach” | ATP Tour

Rafael Nadal

Moyà: “Rafa leaves with his head held high and without any reproaches”

The Balearic coach reviewed Rafael Nadal’s decision

October 15, 2024

The shock wave of the news is still active. A few days ago, Rafael Nadal announced that he would retire from professional tennis after playing the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga representing Spain, causing an earthquake in the world of sport.

With the news still alive, Carlos Moyà, coach of the champion of 22 Grand Slam titles since December 2016, reviewed the decision, as well as his adventure with the Spanish legend.

“This is something that was going to come, sooner or later,” Moyà explained in an interview with Onda Cero. “During all these months there was a lot of speculation and doubt. It can be a liberation after seeing what the last two years have been like. For various reasons, especially in terms of injuries, he has not been able to offer his best level, to which he is accustomed. It’s hard and sad, but you move on to a new life. “He’s going to be very happy anyway.”

The decision, of course, has been brewing throughout a complicated 2024 for Nadal, full of disappointments.

“We have always been in tow,” Moyà replied. “It all starts in Brisbane, where he plays several good games and then gets injured. He misses the Australian Open and tries to return to play Indian Wells, and a few weeks before he hurts his abdominal again,” he added. “The clay court season begins, which was what he had been preparing for, and he has only a few hours of training. The first tournament in which he is more or less fine with injuries, with discomfort but without limitations, is Roland Garros. He is unlucky to face Zverev in the first round. “If I had had a more pleasant draw, and had won a couple of games, perhaps we would have seen a change in trend,” he added.

“Then came Bastad, where he reached the final, and the key point is the Olympic Games. He had a small physical problem days before and on top of that he plays with Djokovic in the second round. It was his last great hope. It has been a hard and difficult year. He had put a lot of hope into having a great 2024. In fact, he underwent surgery last year to try to say goodbye to the best tournaments by offering a good level. Unfortunately, the body has not helped him to make that happen.”

And after the Paris Olympics, things accelerated.

“After the Olympic Games he took a few weeks off and I think that’s when he realized that it will be his last year,” Moyà analyzed. “He doesn’t know how to do it or where, but he makes the decision during that time. I know him well enough to know what he thinks without talking to us. Since he lost in the Olympic Games, I was clear that this would be his last year,” he continued. “He ran out of clear objectives in August of this year. It is too long a period. When we spoke, and he told us his idea, more or less we all sensed that this was going to be the case,” he added.

“In the end, results rule. He went through some tough times with injuries in recent years, but he kept winning Grand Slam titles. The last one to win (Roland Garros 2022) is lame all day. He has a bad foot, but he plays the games and wins them, but he is lame,” Moyà recalled. “He wins the tournament, there is an improvement in his foot and he gets injured again at Wimbledon. He reaches the semifinals and can’t play them, and there he was at a good level. From then on, everything starts to go uphill. He has practically not had consecutive weeks of playing without problems,” he continued. “The same ones that maybe I had before, but this time more serious, worse. The results have not been with him. We are talking about one of the great competitors in history. He begins to see that he cannot compete to win the tournaments. When it is clear that this is not going to be the case, he decides to retire. Last year’s operation, which is the last option that an athlete clings to, is the way to try to return to the highest level. It hasn’t gone well, but he leaves with his head held high and without any reproaches.”

Nadal still has one last dance left, which will be from November 19 in Malaga, playing in the Davis Cup with Spain. A way to put the best possible ending to your story.

“It is closing the circle,” said Moyà. “The start of his stellar career, the turning point, is the 2004 Davis Cup, when he beat Roddick. It is from there that we begin to see his true potential, becoming the player we later saw. It is very nice for him to say goodbye like this, in Spain and in this team competition. It will be something very special, and in his mind he is making things difficult for the captain so that they can choose him, knowing that there are great players on the team.”

“Ahead he will have rivals who will make things very difficult for him, even if it is his farewell,” the Mallorcan warned. “In 2022, for example, he had almost miracle tournaments. One thing that Rafa has had incredible is that he has accustomed us to those miracles. Why not wait for a great version now? It wouldn’t be a miracle, far from it. We can always expect the best from him. He has almost never failed, and let’s hope it can be like that in the Davis Cup.”