Rafael Nadal Makes Painful Admission About Retirement

It's the worst part of every athlete's career but there is a moment where they know that their time in the sport they love is coming to an end.

For Tennis legend Rafael Nadal who won the Australian Open twice, 14 French Opens, and Wimbledon twice, along with being ranked as the world No. 1, his time in tennis may be coming to a close based on recent comments he made. The 38-year-old Spaniard was just bounced out of the singles portion of the Paris Olympics following a loss to Novak Djokovic. Nadal lost, 6-1, 6-4, which has since led him to reveal that he is evaluating where he is in his career, and walking away from the sport may be the next step for him.

“When this tournament is over, I will take the necessary decisions based on my feelings and desire,” Nadal said after the loss per the NY Post . "It is difficult to recover if I am thinking about whether I retire."

Nadal revealed that he has been plagued by injuries the past couple of years, which has been a common issue throughout his career.

“For many people it makes little sense, I have been suffering for two years," he said.

The two-time Olympic gold medalist revealed how he will know it's time to step away from the game, expressing he wants to be able to compete, and when he no longer can he'll be done.

“If I feel that I am not competitive, I will make the decision to stop," Nadal said. "I just try my best every single day, trying to enjoy a thing that I have been enjoying for so much time."

Aside from being bounced out of the singles portion of the Olympics, he and young tennis phenom Carlos Alcaraz were also eliminated from the doubles portion after losing to Team USA.

Related: Former USA Gymnast Claps Back At Simone Biles After Social Media Shade

Related: Simone Biles’ Mom Chose a Perfect Outfit for Her Daughter’s Olympic Performance