After being eliminated in the doubles match with Carlos Alcaraz at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Rafael Nadal announced that this marked the end of a phase he had aimed to complete by the Olympics. From now on, he will take some time to reflect on his next steps.

"This doesn't affect anything. In the end, my future as a professional depends on my desire and feelings when I have to make the decision or not. For me, a stage has ended; I had set the Olympics as a goal since the beginning of the year," Nadal said.

"Has this cycle ended? I'll go home, disconnect, and once I have a clear idea of my next stage, whether with a racket in hand or not, I'll let you know," added the 22-time Grand Slam champion.

"I believe I've always put in enough effort to finish this journey with the personal satisfaction of having done everything possible and the peace of mind of having given my all on the court," the Balearic tennis player continued. "I'm at peace. When I have clear motivations and desires, or on the contrary, if I don't feel the motivation and ability to continue, I'll take another path," Nadal said.

Despite the premature elimination against Novak Djokovic in the singles tournament and this exit in the doubles with Alcaraz in the quarterfinals, Nadal focused on the positives of the Games.

"It's been a fun week, positive in many ways, even if it didn't end the way I dreamed. But that's sports, right? In the end, I wasn't at the level needed to fight for medals individually, and in doubles, I think we played very well. Today, we weren't sharp. As I've said every day, matches go by quickly, and any detail can make a difference; we didn't start well and couldn't take the match to the limit," he noted.

"The experience has been positive; we generated everything we needed to give ourselves options. We had a fantastic relationship throughout this time; we shared a lot on and off the court with maximum motivation, intensity, and excitement. It wasn't meant to be, and that's how it is. We weren't sharp enough today, and there's not much more to analyze," added Nadal, lamenting not being "good enough."

"We simply weren't good enough; Carlos has to continue tomorrow, which requires more analysis. As for me, the only thing I need to analyze is when my flight back home is. But I'll carry a memory and experience that I'll remember for the rest of my life."

"I didn't say I'm saying goodbye to Paris; to be clear, it's possible, but I haven't said goodbye. It has been a unique experience and opportunity. I believe we enjoyed it, and we generated a beautiful shared excitement. It's a lovely memory," he said about playing doubles with Carlos Alcaraz.

"It's a beautiful memory of playing with a player who is going to be one of the best in history, I have little doubt about that if his body holds up, which ultimately also depends on that. Playing together here, with the atmosphere in every match we've played, representing Spain at the Olympics, is a unique and beautiful experience. I've enjoyed it as much as I could," Nadal indicated.

"I thank him from the first moment for his good attitude both on and off the court. I wish him the best personally and as a teammate. I hope he brings the medal back to Spain, and I hope it's gold. As a Spaniard, I wish the same for both him and the girls in doubles, bringing joy to our country," said Rafael Nadal.

Rafael Nadal leaves Paris, where he has triumphed, with the image of the opening ceremony under the Eiffel Tower. "The photo with the torch under the Eiffel Tower is a recognition of what I've been as an Olympic athlete. Honestly, there are many better Olympic athletes than me. I believe this is a recognition of what I've been within the Olympics and what I've been as an athlete both personally and collectively with Spain, but also what I've been in this place, Roland Garros. They've given me this image for the rest of my life," he acknowledged once again.

"In this place, I've achieved the most important record of my career." "Leaving the court, I felt gratitude above all else. The feeling I get every time I step onto this court is nothing but gratitude. It's very emotional for me to feel the support and unconditional love I receive every time I step onto a court here; it's a personal satisfaction and an internal emotion that's hard to explain. I've lived a lot here for many years," Nadal emphasized.

"That recognition and love is something I'll carry with me for the rest of my life. The only thing I've really felt is gratitude," Nadal insisted.