‘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.”