SYDNEY: Raphael Nadal swept away talking about retiring shortly after the 22 times Grand Slam champion was stunned by Cameron Norrie during the United Cup mixed team tournament on Saturday, saying he still enjoys competing at the highest level.
Nadal’s preparations for his Australian Open title defense got off to a shaky start as Norrie beat him 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to seal his first win over the 36-year-old Spaniard in their fifth career meeting.
Faced with the question of whether the defeats at this stage of his career left him more determined to play as long as he could or to acknowledge that things were getting tough, Nadal simply stated that retirement was not yet in the offing. his mind.
“I lost my match. That’s awesome ? “, Nadal said smiling at reporters.
“When the day comes, I’ll let you guys know. Don’t go on with retirement, because I’m here to keep playing tennis.”
Nadal, whose 2022 season started in complete contrast as he rode a 20-game winning streak, said the early defeat ahead of the new season was not a disaster.
“I can do things better and I have to. He played his first game two days ago, that’s an advantage, especially if you win the game like he did,” Nadal added.
“And then I have to be a bit faster physically, a bit more solid, make fewer mistakes and make better decisions at times, play a bit longer.
“I owe him all the credit for doing a lot of things very well. In my case, I think there is room to improve, but I have time before the start of the Australian Open in two weeks. Anyway, we are still focused on this competition.”
Nadal’s preparations for his Australian Open title defense got off to a shaky start as Norrie beat him 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to seal his first win over the 36-year-old Spaniard in their fifth career meeting.
Faced with the question of whether the defeats at this stage of his career left him more determined to play as long as he could or to acknowledge that things were getting tough, Nadal simply stated that retirement was not yet in the offing. his mind.
“I lost my match. That’s awesome ? “, Nadal said smiling at reporters.
“When the day comes, I’ll let you guys know. Don’t go on with retirement, because I’m here to keep playing tennis.”
Nadal, whose 2022 season started in complete contrast as he rode a 20-game winning streak, said the early defeat ahead of the new season was not a disaster.
“I can do things better and I have to. He played his first game two days ago, that’s an advantage, especially if you win the game like he did,” Nadal added.
“And then I have to be a bit faster physically, a bit more solid, make fewer mistakes and make better decisions at times, play a bit longer.
“I owe him all the credit for doing a lot of things very well. In my case, I think there is room to improve, but I have time before the start of the Australian Open in two weeks. Anyway, we are still focused on this competition.”
