“In my opinion, I see it as impossible. 99.99% impossible. Because in this life you can’t say impossible. But I would be very, very surprised. I think he’s going to need time to realise what he really wants to do.

“It’s a bit different than Andy. I feel like Andy, even if he’s got four kids and he’s busy at home, maybe he’s got less things to do on a daily basis.

“But Rafa, he is living on his, you know, in Manacor, and he’s got his academy. I don’t really see him moving so much from there. I felt like Andy wanted to maybe feel the experience of still traveling, you know.

“Rafa, I don’t really see him as a coach or as a consultant for anyone. I might see him more like a consultant for, let’s say, Real Madrid. Something big, something that he could add to the team from time to time, can give them some speeches. I would see it for a short period of time. Three months or six months. But on a daily basis, I don’t really see it.”

On Friday, Rafa Nadal visited Bilbao, where he enjoyed a night out with friends and his wife Maria Francisca Perello at the Satai bar, known for its famous gildas. He delighted in the local cuisine, including Bilbao’s signature gildas and the “Kendall” cocktail, while also taking time to interact with fans and pose for photos. Later, he and his group indulged in a luxurious tasting menu at the Michelin-starred Asador Etxebarri in Axpe.

There are too many moments, too many classic matches to try and summarise, the prolonged standing ovations at RG2024 and the Paris Olympics (also on Court Philippe-Chatrier) perfectly portrayed the unbreakable bond between Nadal and his beloved Roland-Garros.

“Without a doubt for me and I think for a lot of people who love the history of this sport, this is the best tournament of the world,” said Nadal. “For me personally, it’s very difficult to describe the feelings that I have… I feel at home.

“It’s difficult to understand some things, but for me, Roland-Garros is the most important tournament of my tennis career, and all the things that I lived there, enjoyed there, stays in my heart forever.”

“Rafa’s only downside was also his biggest asset. His only downside was his humility and that’s also his biggest asset. There are times where I would look at him and wonder how he didn’t actually have a bigger ego. He was always so gracious and so humble about what he’s doing that sometimes that hindered his ability to step on a court and just crush the ball,” Annacone said.

“And when Rafa was vulnerable, he didn’t crush the ball and we saw that yesterday because he hasn’t played and it’s on his worst surface, his ball gets very spinny and it sits up. But because of that humility, he didn’t just walk on that court and star ripping balls everywhere,” he said.

I awoke on that ungodly, pre-dawn Sunday morning at the end of January to watch the Australian Open final. I went in half-expecting to watch as if attending a vigil for a once-great champion. When he went down two sets to love against Danil Medvedev, I braced for disappointment. But hope spread its feathered wings. As he saved the third set, after serving from 2-3 and 0-40 down, it wobbled shakily off the ground. By the end of the fourth, it flew steadily. By the fifth, it soared to new heights, as he went to serve out the five-hour, twenty-four-minute marathon match, completing the most impressive comeback win of his career.

It was more than any Nadal fan could ever hope for, beginning what looked like a proper renaissance. Here he was at 36 years old, like Tennyson’s Ulysses, proving that “some work of noble note may yet be done” in his lifelong field. Even as new contenders arrived on the scene, he showed that he could still hold his own against them, including his compatriot and heir-apparent, Carlos Alcaraz. But nothing felt guaranteed, which made every one of his victories all the more special.

Rafael Nadal visited Manchester City’s facilities last Wednesday before attending the Champions League match between Liverpool and Real Madrid at Anfield. When asked if he would use Nadal as an example to motivate his players, Guardiola said it would be something “beautiful” and “easy to do.”

“It was a pleasure to see him. He’s an incredible athlete. We talked about sports, about how hard it is to stay at the top for so many years. Rafa is someone who loves sports, who wants to keep going, but his body couldn’t take it anymore. The same happens in football,” Guardiola remarked at a press conference on Friday.