Benoit Maylin, a French journalist, believes Rafael Nadal would be damaging his reputation as a champion if he were to announce his retirement during the October Saudi exhibition.
This follows his recent announcement that he would not play in the US Open and would retire.
At first, Nadal responded to calls for retirement in a manner reminiscent of Andy Murray. “Every day, you guys ask me to retire, and that’s what you want.” I’m doing everything I can. “I can’t spend every day worrying about whether or not this will be my final match,” he remarked.
However, Maylin said on Sans Filet that if he terminates his career this season, he would play in Saudi Arabia. Some people think that Rafael Nadal passed up the US Open in order to finish his career at the Laver Cup or the 6 Kings Cup, where he will face Holger Rune, a man who has never won a Grand Slam.
Since Nadal is a Saudi ambassador and the other players have all won Slams, Maylin views the match as a business transaction between the two men rather than a fairytale.
Who will be able to pay for the farewell to Rafael Nadal? Maylin stated on Sans Filet that “it should have been at Roland Garros this year or at the Olympics; the symbolism would have been strong but he didn’t want to.”
Like Federer, who lined up the zeros to win it in September, would he bid farewell at the Laver Cup? Who could put together an exhibition worth millions of dollars in Saudi Arabia, where he was appointed ambassador of the country’s tennis federation this year?
“That would damage the reputation of a champion known for his moral character, as long as it’s nothing like that.”
Maylin thinks that, even if Spain hasn’t quite qualified, the Davis Cup Finals ought to be the last stop. “Let him do it in Spain, defending his nation’s colors in the Davis Cup alongside Carlos Alcaraz, if he has to stop this year.” That would be really lovely.