I think Nadals days are numbered’: Boris Becker’s bold retirement statement | Tennis news

Spain’s Rafael Nadal was left in shock after his Australian Open 2023 loss to USA’s Mackenzie McDonald 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 in the second round of the tournament on Wednesday. Defending champion and number one Nadal suffered a hip injury while losing in straight sets.

Of the big three in tennis – Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic – Swiss legend Federer hung up his racket last year. Since then, speculation has been high about the impending retirement of the other two superstars, particularly the 36-year-old Nadal.

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Nadal’s early exit from the Australian Open has prompted tennis legend Boris Becker to make statements about the possibility of the former saying goodbye to the sport. In an interaction on Eurosport Germany’s Matchball Becker programme, he said Nadal’s injury at the peak of his tennis career could hasten his retirement.

“We’ve been talking about a generational change for a long time, and then Nadal comes along last year and wins not only Melbourne but also Paris. The question was: will he play until he’s 40? I don’t think so. . Yesterday was already the first step towards his retirement,” Becker said.

“An injury like this is difficult and at this age it will take even longer to recover. I hope and pray that he will recover soon and that we will see him looking fresh again no later than Paris, but I think his days are numbered,” he added.

The German tennis legend also said that Nadal may not participate in the Australian Open again. Although he noted that Nadal would like to play at the French Open again.

We talked for a long time about the change of generations – we are now watching it live. Roger Federer is no longer playing, and there are now many question marks behind Nadal, said Becker.

“I think he wants to play Paris again. But I don’t know if he will take on Australia again. That’s why we should celebrate him while we have him,” he concluded.