"Rafael Nadal please don’t quit tennis" - Spaniard receives special message from young fan during Jannik Sinner's Rotterdam Open SF

A young fan conveyed a special message for Rafael Nadal during Jannik Sinner's semifinal match at the Rotterdam Open.

Sinner trumped Tallon Griekspoor 6-2, 6-4 in an hour and 19 minutes at Rotterdam Ahoy on Saturday, February 17, to reach his second successive final after the Australian Open triumph. He will take on Australia's Alex de Minaur in the decider.

The Dutch fans attended the semifinal in great numbers to support local boy Griekspoor and Sinner as well. Surprisingly, the cameras spotted a young fan holding a placard with a message, not for the semifinalists but for Nadal.

"[Rafael] Nadal please don't quit tennis," the placard read in all caps.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion is rumored to quit tennis before 2024 ends. He sat out for the majority of 2023 due to a hip injury but returned to competitive action in January this year.

He began his comeback with statement wins over Dominic Thiem and Jason Kubler in the first and second rounds of Brisbane International. He bowed out of the tournament after losing an intense battle with Jordan Thompson in the quarterfinals.

The Spaniard clinched the opening set against Thompson by converting two break points. However, the Australian fought back to win the second set in a tiebreak. Thompson doubled down to take the third and close the match at 5-7, 7-6(6), 6-3 in his favor.

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Rafael Nadal: "I have the feeling that the day after I retire I'm still going to be as happy as I was playing tennis"

Rafael Nadal

In a recent interview with Spanish media outlet La Sexta, Rafael Nadal suggested that he would be as happy in his life after retirement as he has been while competing on tennis courts since turning pro in the year 2001.

"I have the feeling that the day after I retire I'm still going to be as happy as I was playing tennis," the 22-time Grand Slam champion said.

The Spaniard expressed that he has lived a normal life, enjoying every moment and dedicating hard hours to tennis.

"My life is a far cry from that obsession with tennis that you see from the outside. I've been very intense and very hard-working but I went out, I had a good time... I haven't missed much of anything because of tennis. I've done fewer things than my friends, but I've done them," he added.