Rafael Nadal, the 22-time Grand Slam champion, has revealed he hasn’t picked up a tennis racket since his retirement from professional tennis at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals.
In a recent interview with the Spanish Olympic Committee on Movistar, Nadal shared insights into his post-retirement life, emphasizing his focus on new goals and a much-needed break from the sport that defined his career for over two decades.
The 38-year-old Spaniard admitted that his retirement was partly driven by persistent injury struggles that hampered his ability to compete consistently.
While tennis consumed his life for years, dictating everything from nutrition to sleep, Nadal has embraced this new chapter with enthusiasm.
“For now, I’m always busy doing things, which I believe is how it should be,” Nadal stated in the interview, as reported by Puntodebreak. “In life, it’s very important to have goals; if you don’t, you might end up getting bored. I’m a person who needs to have things to do, I like it.”
Nadal explained that he is currently focused on organizing this new phase of his life, adding, “It’s recent, it has been three months since I stopped playing, but so far, I have adapted well. I have played less sports than I would have liked.” Interestingly, he revealed a new sporting passion: “I have returned to playing soccer, which brings me joy. I haven’t picked up a racket again, it needs its time. When I stopped playing, I had a foot injury for a month, I was in bad shape.”
Despite the complete detachment from tennis for the time being, Nadal acknowledged that he will eventually return to the court.
“I lost a bit of rhythm there; otherwise, I would have continued playing. I lost track a bit, but at some point, I will pick it up again without a doubt. As with everything, when you finish a stage, you need a moment of disconnection, and that’s what I’m doing.”
This suggests that while fans may have to wait a while, the sight of Nadal gracing the court again, even if only in an exhibition capacity, is a distinct possibility.
