Nadal: "If I could have kept on playing, I would have".
Rafael Nadal received a huge number of questions at his press conference on the occasion of the Davis Cup match between Spain and the Netherlands.
He will be retiring at the end of this week, and is cautious about his participation: "Movie endings are for Hollywood.
Here, we're concentrating on the competition and doing our best for the team. I've tried to work as hard as I could for a month and a half to get here as well as I could. I think I've made a lot of progress.
It's difficult to assess your true level when you're not competing, but if I have to play a match, I'll do it with maximum enthusiasm and determination.
For me, it's very meaningful to say farewell to Spain and to the court. I can't predict how I'll feel, but I have to put my emotions aside.
It's the captain who decides, and the important thing for the team prevails."
Nadal also explains the reasons for his retirement: "I'll miss the daily routine a lot, as well as the adrenaline felt on the court and the atmosphere thanks to the fans.
The reason I'm leaving the courts is that I feel I'm no longer competitive enough.
I could play another year to say goodbye to the most important tournaments of my career, but it doesn't make sense for me to continue when I'm fully aware that my body doesn't allow me to aim for the competitive goals that motivate me.
I'm not exhausted by tennis; if I could have continued playing, I would have. I said over a year ago that I didn't deserve to say goodbye at a press conference and that I wanted to give myself a chance to come back.
That's what I did, and things didn't turn out the way I'd planned. I'm at peace with myself, because I gave my all during my professional career.
My body doesn't give me the leeway to create training and competition windows the way I'd like."
