Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray headlined a list of major tennis retirements in 2024, leaving Novak Djokovic as the last active member of ‘the big four’.
Nadal said his farewell at the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga last year, losing his final-ever match against Botic van de Zandschulp.
While Murray elected to go down the doubles route after rupturing his ankle at the Miami Open and having to undergo surgery.
Murray’s career came to a conclusion at the Paris Olympics alongside compatriot Dan Evans, going all the way to the quarter-finals before losing to the American duo of Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul.
Nadal and Murray were not the only significant retirements on the ATP Tour in 2024, with former US Open champion Dominic Thiem also playing one final match at his home tournament in Vienna.
Alexander Bublik claims that Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray’s retirements were ‘a circus’
Nadal’s retirement farewell in particular received mixed reviews, and now World No.33 Alexander Bublik has had his say.
When speaking to Russian sports website Match TV, Bublik suggested that both Nadal and Murray were far from their peak level when retiring last year.
“Yes, I want to leave at the peak,” said the Kazakhstani. “It is clear that I am not Rafa, my legacy will be much smaller, if it can be called such. What happened to Andy Murray and Rafa was a circus.
“I can’t call it anything else. People have achieved everything, even we tennis players looked at them with our mouths open in the locker room – and then you see one of them bald and old.”
Bublik added, “It is clear that he is no longer the same and will never be the same. In my opinion, this is even a shame, not a circus. Probably, it would be more correct to say so. Although Rafa still left normally.”
Alexander Bublik criticises Andy Murray’s decision to coach Novak Djokovic
Murray has not stayed away from tennis for long, and will be present at the Australian Open as former rival Djokovic’s coach.
This Murray-Djokovic partnership was announced back in November, with the Serbian looking to win a 25th Grand Slam singles title at the upcoming Australian Open.
Although fans are exciting about this coaching partnership, it appears that Bublik does not agree with Murray’s decision and hopes not to go down this route after his own retirement.
“Now he has joined Novak Djokovic’s team. These are attempts to grasp at something that no longer exists, to some echoes of the past,” claimed the 27-year-old. “I think this is a problem.
“I hope that it will not be the same for me, but I cannot say for sure. Maybe at the age of 36 I will go to the Challenger in Bangkok, but I still hope that I will leave with peace of mind.”
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
