Bautista: "Il semble incroyable que les nerfs ne partent pas même à 38 ans"

Fernando Murciego | 22 Apr 2026 | 19.29

Bautista says goodbye to Madrid: "It seems unbelievable that nerves don't go away even at 38 years old." Source: Getty Translated headline in French: **Bautista dit au revoir à Madrid : "Il semble incroyable que les nerfs ne disparaissent pas même à 38 ans." Source : Getty**

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Roberto Bautista put an end to his story with the Mutua Madrid Open. This Wednesday, at Manolo Santana, the Castellon native fell in two sets to Thiago Agustín Tirante, although he still has several pending stops ahead.

What stops? Where will we see him play? Does Roberto Bautista have a planned place to retire? The reality is no. His schedule is set until the summer, and from then on, we will see. With the press room of the Mutua Madrid Open packed to bid him a deserving farewell, the former world No. 9 delved further into his decision and explained how he feels before facing these last months as a professional.

His plans until the end of the season

"I will be playing it by ear. Last year, after the injury at the US Open, I spent six months without earning points, so now I have them all at once. If I want to extend the year, I have no choice but to play well in the upcoming tournaments. I know I will now play Rome, then the Valencia Challenger, after Roland Garros... and then we will see if I play the Wimbledon main draw or the qualifying. From there, we will have to see how the season progresses."

Farewell alongside Feliciano and Garbiñe

"These are moments one does not consider while being a player. Today on the court, there were many emotions, it was not easy to play. I was eager to play in Madrid, to play locally, to do well... it's unbelievable, but nerves don't go away even at 38. It was beautiful, I could enjoy it with my family and coaches, it was a nice farewell."

His relationship with Madrid and Manolo Santana

"That was the tournament that propelled me towards the top positions, it placed me among the top 15 in the rankings. It was a turning point in my career, although here I also experienced one of the most magical moments of my career, which was the final of the Davis Cup in 2019. Many memories come to me, this is a very important court for me."

Roberto Bautista reveals how he made the decision to retire

"It's a tough decision, the first person I discussed it with was my wife, who has always been with me. After the six-month injury that kept me out, in February I didn't feel good on the court, I saw no solution. Now after Indian Wells, I started to feel better, not as limping anymore, but this injury has worn me out a lot, it took a lot of energy from me. I tried to come back and couldn't. I've been in this for many years, so after Indian Wells and Miami, I thought it was a good time to say goodbye. I still see myself at a good level, ready to finish this season playing good matches."

What if the year ends well? Chances of playing in Australia?

"The decision is made, this will be my last one, I'm clear about that. Hopefully, I end the year in the top 100 and have the opportunity to play well from now until the end of the season. What I would like most is to say goodbye properly and enjoy on the court, I still have the level, I can play good matches, but it's true that it's getting harder. Lately, I find myself playing against opponents twice my age."

The emergence of Jódar, Landaluce, and Mérida

"Everyone has their maturation phase, each player has their evolution. In my case, it's difficult, it's rare to start at 24 years old and then reach No. 9 in the world. I love tennis, I always tried to improve, every morning, in every training session. Achieving what I have achieved has been incredible, but it's clear that it's much better to start at 20-21 years old, so you go through all those moments much earlier than I had to experience at 24-25. Spanish tennis needed a renewal, to see new faces, young people playing really well."

Cette actualité est une traduction automatique. Vous pouvez lire la nouvelle originale Bautista: “Parece mentira que los nervios no se pasen ni con 38 años”