‘Even a Shame’ – Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray’s Retirement Becomes Subject of Bold Critique From ATP Pro
The year 2024 saw some of the stalwarts of the tennis world bidding adieu to the sport. Among them were the likes of Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray, who retired after the Davis Cup Finals and the Paris Olympic Games, respectively. While the duo achieved almost everything in their career, they were clearly past their peak while hanging their boots. As a result, they failed to have the last laugh and suffered grim losses in their final matches. Thus, Kazakh star, Alexander Bublik had a rather stern take on Nadal and Murray stretching their careers.
Both Nadal and Murray suffered from injuries toward the end of their careers. As a result, they didn’t feature consistently in the final season of their careers. During an interview, Bublik felt that it was better to retire at the peak rather than stretching the career and not having a dream finish. He revealed, “Yes, I want to leave at the peak. It is clear that I am not Rafa, my legacy will be much smaller, if it can be called such. What happened to Andy Murray and Rafa was a circus. I can’t call it anything else. People have achieved everything, even we, tennis players, looked at them with our mouths open in the locker room, and then you see one of them bald and old.”
Further, he went on to add, “It is clear that he is no longer the same and will never be the same. In my opinion, this is even a shame, not a circus. Probably, it would be more correct to say so. Although Rafa still left normally…” While Bublik felt that Nadal should’ve retired long back during his peak, the Spaniard’s compatriot, Alex Corretja had other thoughts. Corretja explained why Nadal took so long to retire, saying that he still had hopes of winning a Grand Slam title. The 2-time French Open finalist revealed, “He’s not retired because his mind is tired or [he’s had] enough now. It is because his body doesn’t allow him to do it. That’s why he took his time, as he always did on court as well. He took his time between points, between matches. He was a very calm guy that needed his time. He did the same [deciding] to retire.”
After his retirement following the Paris Olympic Games, Murray announced that he would coach Novak Djokovic at the beginning of the 2025 season. Ahead of the Australian Open, the British star has already joined Djokovic’s team and was seen sharing valuable inputs during a practice session. However, Murray’s decision to turn a coach soon after his retirement didn’t go down well with Bublik.
He explained, “Murray is trying to go back to what is no longer there. I think it’s a problem, I hope the same doesn’t happen to me. Maybe at 36, I’ll play the Bangkok Challenger, but even so, I hope to leave with a clear conscience and soul.” Despite Bublik questioning Murray’s role, Djokovic is elated to work with his long-time rival Murray after his retirement. Ahead of the Australian Open, Djokovic revealed, “I love talking to him about the nuances, the details, how I can improve my game, how I can gain an inch, court positioning more comparing to my opponent.”
