SHANGHAI.- The announcement of the withdrawal of Rafael Nadal It has been “bad news for the world of tennis,” said the number one in the ATP ranking, Jannik Sinnerthis Thursday.
Nadal announced that he will retire next November after the ‘Final 8’ of the Davis Cup, ending a career in which he won 22 Grand Slams.
“He is an incredible person. He taught us young players how to behave on the court, how to handle situations… Also to be humble at the same time and not let success change us,” said the 23-year-old Italian player during the Shanghai tournament.
“This is bad news, not only for the world of tennis,” he reiterated.
Rafa Nadal, 38, will end more than two decades as a professional in which he won 92 titles and almost 135 million dollars (123 million euros) in prizes.
Despite his record-breaking career, Nadal was a victim of numerous injuries.
“Everything has a beginning and also an end,” Sinner said. “Only he knows how he feels. It’s difficult,” he added.
New times
Many consider that the emerging rivalry between Sinner and Spanish player Carlos Alcaraz could be the new version of the ‘Big Three’ of Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
“There are a lot of things we can take from them, but we can’t compare ourselves, it’s impossible, especially right now,” Sinner admitted.
The main racket player in the world today also highlighted how privileged his generation has been to be able to share and compete against one of the greatest athletes of all time. Of that famous “Big Three”, only Djokovic would remain active for December.
“We were very lucky to see them play and I consider myself lucky to get to know them as people and learn from them,” concluded the Italian tennis player.
