Rafael Nadal won his 14th French Open title in 2022

Rafael Nadal’s retirement means that “an era of tennis is going to end,” according to former world No 3 and Grand Slam champion Juan Martin del Potro.

Nadal has stated multiple times that this will likely be his last year on tour, with still no confirmation as to whether he will play at the French Open.

The 22-time Grand Slam winner is confirmed to be playing at the Laver Cup in September and also has his sights on the Olympic Games this summer, though no official date or tournament has been set for his farewell.

Del Potro, who retired from tennis in 2022 after frequent injury problems throughout his career, is among the avid spectators watching Nadal’s every move in Madrid this fortnight.

And, speaking to Punto de Break, the 2009 US Open win believes that Nadal’s retirement – whenever it is – will be a significant turning point for the sport.

He said: “I think we have to start assimilating that an era of tennis is going to end.

“Roger [Federer] is no longer here, but his legacy was marked forever. And now Nadal is giving himself the pleasure of retiring in his own way and under his conditions. It is something that unfortunately I couldn’t do because of my health. What Rafa does is impressive.

“Watching him play and seeing that passion for competing and that energy he has is something unique and I don’t know if there will be something similar in the next few years.

“I will continue watching him on TV. I’m not watching much tennis, but if Rafa or Novak plays, of course I watch it.”

Nadal and del Potro faced each other on 17 occasions, with the Spaniard holding an 11-6 advantage in their head-to-head.

The Argentine’s most memorable wins over the 22-time major winner arguably came in two semi-finals, at the 2009 US Open – where he won the title – and the semi-final of the 2016 Olympics in Rio.

And del Potro reflected on “great memories” taking on the Spaniard throughout their career, including their iconic Wimbledon quarter-final in 2018.

He added: “The Rio match was emotionally very strong and spectacular, as an Argentine in Brazil and against Rafa.

“Another match that I remember was the semifinals of the 2009 US Open, but there is one that I lost against Nadal, which was at Wimbledon 2018. I lost that match, but at the end, we gave each other a hug.

“It was super emotional and when I see images of that match and that moment I don’t care that I lost because that moment is already winning.

“The result doesn’t matter, but that hug, the emotion, the fans. It was an unforgettable day and those were the great memories I have with Rafa.”