Boris Becker makes his stance clear on Rafael Nadal’s retirement as Novak Djokovic gets the better of the Spaniard at Paris Olympics

Becker asked the tennis fraternity to wait for Nadal's final decision about his retirement.

Boris Becker makes his stance clear on Rafael Nadal’s retirement as Novak Djokovic gets the better of the Spaniard at Paris Olympics

Novak Djokovic, Boris Becker, Rafael Nadal (Images via Imago, beIN SPORTS)

Rafael Nadal bowed out of the singles event at Paris Olympics following his straight sets defeat to Novak Djokovic in the second round. And amidst discussions about the Spaniard’s retirement, former World No. 1 Boris Becker wants the tennis fraternity to give Nadal some time to contemplate about the final years of his career.

Nadal, the two-time Olympic gold medalist, fought hard to remain in the competition against Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics in the first round. But the second-round match, unlike the previous clashes between these two greats of the game, was rather a one-sided one. Djokovic, with some hiccups during the second set, quickly finished the match with a scoreline of 6-1, 6-4 to reach the third round.

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Nadal, when quizzed about his retirement after the match by a Spanish media, was unhappy upon being asked the same question. Becker also asked the tennis fraternity to wait for Nadal’s final decision.

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We should give him the time he needs. We’re not in his shoes. He knows he’s not playing at the level he did a couple of years ago, but he still loves to compete. We shouldn’t be telling him what to do next.
Boris Becker told Eurosport (via Tennis365)

Nadal, in a previous interview, also talked about the uncertainty of him going to the US for the final Grand Slam event of the year right after the Olympics. But that he won’t be bidding farewell after the Paris Games is confirmed, as he confirmed about his participation at the Laver Cup for Team Europe.

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Boris Becker warned Novak Djokovic about his competition with young players

It’s safe to say that Novak Djokovic, even though he has won 24 Grand Slam titles and even though he has been giving tough competition to the young players who are considered the future of tennis, has not performed well this season. He is yet to win a title, and reached just one final, at the Wimbledon, where 21-year-old Carlos Alcaraz easily beat him in straight sets to clinch his fourth Grand Slam trophy. The Spaniard also registered his back-to-back win over the 37-year-old in Wimbledon summit clash.

Novak Djokovic (6)
Novak Djokovic (Image via Imago)

Boris Becker, before the start of the Nadal versus Djokovic, admitted that he is glad to see Djokovic still competing. The six-time Grand Slam champion, who also coached Djokovic from 2013 to 2016, warned the Serb that his form, with age, will start to decline.

Look, the competition never sleeps. Even if you have been used to winning every year, this will not last forever for anybody.
Boris Becker said (via Mirror)

So far for the 24-time Grand Slam champion, things has been going smoothly in Paris. Before outclassing Nadal, Djokovic registered a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Australia’s Matthew Eden in the first round.

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