"2024 seems far away" - Rafael Nadal talks about his tennis future in ‘most likely’ final visit to Mexico

On Friday, Rafael Nadal bid an emotional farewell to Mexico City - the place where he won his first ATP 500 title way back in February 2005.

Present on the court for an exhibition match against Casper Ruud in front of a packed Plaza de Toros crowd, Nadal said it was likely the last time he was playing in the city. The 2023 Acapulco Open - where he was set to be the defending champion - is not on his schedule for next year.

Nadal, who has a total of four Mexican Open trophies to his name, thanked the fans for their unconditional support and for treating him like "another Mexican".

"It will most likely be the last time I play in Mexico, Acapulco 2023 is not on my calendar and the 2024 season seems far away. Now is the time to enjoy this moment to the fullest and play in an emblematic setting, with many people and in a country where I have always felt loved,” the Spaniard said.

"It is an unforgettable feeling to live in such an environament in Mexico, I can only say thank you for the unconditional support, it is a country that has treated me like another Mexican. It's hard for me to say goodbye to you," he added.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion also hinted at a truncated schedule for the 2023 season, saying the main focus was to ensure participation in important tournaments in "full physical condition."

"For me the main thing right now is to be able to get to the important tournaments in full physical condition. I continue to enjoy day-by-day and I continue to have goals that excite me at a professional level. I’m going to try to achieve them until my body or mind says enough. At the moment, that hasn’t happened so I want to continue,” he said.

“I am happy doing what I do, I love competing on the big stages and the love of the people encouraged me to continue. You can learn everything from Rafa – from any type of shot to mentality and professionalism,” he added.

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"It's something that doesn't make me lose sleep" - Rafael Nadal on the GOAT debate

Nadal at the Telcel ATP Mexican Open 2022.

Rafael Nadal also briefly addressed tennis' age-old Greatest of All Time (GOAT) debate, saying it was not something that he took too seriously or lost sleep over.

The Spaniard said the Big 3 — him, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic — had "exceeded" everything that an athlete could imagine achieving in the sport and that it had taken them to a "higher echelon".

"For me personally, it's something that doesn't make me lose sleep because I think the three of us have exceeded everything we could have imagined achieving," Nadal said. "With our results, we have taken this sport to a higher echelon and the debate about who is the GOAT is more a matter of the press."