Rafael Nadal says he will make a decision on his future when the Olympics are over after suffering a second-round defeat to Novak Djokovic on Monday. (Full Coverage | More Tennis News)
The Spaniard was beaten 6-1 6-4 in straight sets by his long-time rival, though showed fight to come back from 4-0 down to tie 4-4 in the second set before Djokovic saw out the victory.
Nadal has endured another campaign hampered by injuries and is playing in just his seventh tournament of the season after skipping Wimbledon to focus on the Games.
He won Olympic gold in the singles in Beijing in 2008 and the doubles at Rio 2016, but he is without a major title win since 2022, when he won his 14th grand slam at Roland Garros.
And after another early tournament exit, Nadal admitted that the end of his career may be closer than he had hoped.
"When this tournament is over, I will take the necessary decisions based on my feelings and desire," he said.
"For many people, it makes little sense. I have been suffering for two years.
"If I feel that I am not competitive, I will make the decision to stop. I just try my best every single day, trying to enjoy a thing that I have been enjoying for so much time.
"I have been suffering a lot of injuries the last two years. So, if I feel that I am not competitive enough to keep going or physically, I'm not ready to keep going, I will stop and let you know."
Nadal still has a chance to win a medal in Paris in the men's doubles where he is partnered with Carlos Alcaraz.
