Rafael Nadal left the door ajar Sunday to continue after the 2024 season but conceded there was “a high percentage” that he was on his last trip as a player to Australia.
Speaking ahead of his comeback from a 12-month injury absence at the season-opening Brisbane International, the 37-year-old Spaniard said he did not know for sure what the future held.
“The problem about saying that’s going to be my last season is I can’t predict what’s going on 100 per cent in the future,” he said.
“That’s why I say ‘probably’. It’s obvious it’s a high percentage that it’s going to be my last time playing here in Australia.
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“But if I am here next year, don’t tell me, ‘You said it was going to be your last season’, because I didn’t say it.
“You never know what’s going on, you know? I can’t predict how I’m going to be in the next six months. I can’t predict if my body will allow me to enjoy tennis as much as I enjoyed the past 20 years.
“It’s not an easy decision, but I know inside myself that it is a high percentage that it’s going to be my last one.”
The 22-time Grand Slam champion said that the last year, with surgery for a hip injury, had been tough and he contemplated quitting at one point during his recovery.