Nadal Announces his Retirement, Cites Frequent Rain Delays

Barcelona, Spain (August 26, 2009) –Tennis star Rafael Nadal, five-time Grand Slam winner, and winner of an Olympic gold medal this month, said today that, effective immediately, he is retiring from pro tennis.
Nadal, who just this summer took over the No. 1 ranking from Roger Federer, said he was quitting because “I have reached an age where my work day should not depend on the weather.” The 22- year-old star, known for his viscous, lefty forehand and displays of pique when having to sit out the frequent rain delays on the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) tour, said he was looking forward to working indoors, perhaps in the family glass and windows business, in his home of Mallorca.
Keith Wiberforce, Nadal’s agent at the IMG Group, said that the star had considered options other than a complete retirement, but was unable to come up with an acceptable compromise that would keep him in the game and yet not expose him to rain delays.
“We looked at trying to limit Rafa’s season to the late fall and winter segment of the tour, which is mainly contested on indoor courts, but in the final analysis, the indoor events just don’t constitute a big enough percentage of pro tennis to make this approach feasible.”
Wilberforce noted that despite plans for a retractable roof at Wimbledon and the existence of one at the Australian Open, there were no plans to do anything to prevent rain delays at the other two Grand Slam tournaments, the French and U.S. Opens.
And at the level of important events just below the Grand Slams, the 10 Masters Series events,
only three are either indoors or equipped with a roof that would preclude rain delays.
A last ditch effort to secure Nadal’s participation in the indoor Master Series events in Paris and Barcelona, failed.
In a far-ranging press conference to announce his retirement, Nadal also said he felt that having turned 22, he is too old to go to work in shorts. In fact, he explained that his signature “pirate” pants, the three-quarter length trousers, which Nadal alone among tennis pros wore, were a response to jibes from his friends back in Mallorca about how silly it is for grown man to have to earn a living wearing shorts.
“The fellows I went to school with will now have one less thing to taunt me about on Friday and Saturday nights when we hit the bars in Manacor,” he said.
Nadal also revealed that he could hardly enjoy winning his first gold medal in Beijing because the skies were overcast for much of the time and he was worried it might rain.
“They told me it was pollution, but I don’t know. I think it was rain in the air that I smelled and it ruined yet another tournament win for me.
I’m happy to have endured this weather to win a gold medal for my country, but it stresses me out way too much to continue to put myself through this agita week after week on the circuit just for individual glory. I’d rather fiddle with the spreadsheets in the office of our family business. I look forward to the day I can yell my well-known cry of “Vamos” when I balance our monthly accounts instead of when I beat another hapless young millionaire having to compete in shorts under the constant threat of rain stopping play.”
Roger Federer, whom Nadal replaced as the world No. 1, said he could understand Nadal’s decision. “A rain delay can totally change the momentum of a match. As the two leading players, it usually works to Rafa’s and my disadvantage.”
The Swiss star added, “We’re well-paid, but between the constant travel, the pressure to perform and the frequent rain delays, the tour can be a grind even for top-ranked players like Rafa and me.”

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