During Jannik Sinner’s semifinal match at the Rotterdam Open, a young fan had a heartfelt message for Rafael Nadal.
Sinner secured a decisive victory over Tallon Griekspoor, winning 6-2, 6-4 in just over an hour and 19 minutes at Rotterdam Ahoy on Saturday, February 17, advancing to his second consecutive final following his Australian Open triumph. He is set to face Australia’s Alex de Minaur in the showdown.
Despite the strong support for local favorite Griekspoor from Dutch fans, one young spectator caught the cameras’ attention by holding up a placard with a message not for the semifinalists, but for Nadal.
The placard, written in bold caps, read: “[Rafael] Nadal please don’t quit tennis.” There have been rumors circulating that the 22-time Grand Slam champion may retire from tennis before the end of 2024.
Nadal took a substantial hiatus from the sport in 2023 due to a hip injury but made a competitive comeback in January of the current year.
Returning to action at the Brisbane International, Nadal showcased his resilience with impressive victories over Dominic Thiem and Jason Kubler in the early rounds. However, his journey was halted in the quarterfinals after a hard-fought battle against Jordan Thompson.
Despite claiming the opening set by converting two break points against Thompson, the Australian rallied back to snatch the second set in a tiebreak. Thompson then capitalized on his momentum to secure victory in the third set, ultimately prevailing 5-7, 7-6(6), 6-3.
