In Pictures: Rafael Nadal all smiles as he takes in the sights of Jeddah; meets up with Next Gen ATP stars in first tennis appearance after retirement

Rafael Nadal shared a sneak peek of his visit to a museum in Jeddah and opened up about his interview with the players of the Next Gen ATP Finals. The tournament commenced on December 18 and will conclude on December 22, 2024.

The Spaniard recently retired from his legendary tennis career after competing at the Davis Cup Finals on November 19, 2024. He lost the final match of his career 4-6, 4-6 to Botic van de Zandschulp.

Shortly after his retirement, Rafael Nadal visited the Tariqa Abdul Hakim museum, which is located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and shared a glimpse of his time there on his Instagram story. In the pictures he was seen exploring the features of the museum. Here are some glimpses of the same:

After his visit to the museum, Nadal sat for a conversation with the Next Gen ATP Finals players, Joao Fonseca, Jakub Mensik, and Alex Michelsen. He shared a post with them on his story with the caption:

"Great chatting with you guys. Good luck."

Here are some glimpses of Nadal's visit to Jedah:

Nadal's Instagram story

Nadal's Instagram story

Rafa in conversation with the Next Gen ATP Finals

Rafael Nadal opened up about his loss at the final match of his career

Davis Cup Finals - Netherlands v Spain Quarter-Final - Source: Getty

Rafael Nadal spoke about losing the last match of his career at the Davis Cup Finals on November 19 in the post-match interview. He said that it was a full-circle moment for him, as his first match of his career at the Davis Cup Officials was also a loss. Along with this, he said that he had already accepted that this would be his last match as a professional and did not want to criticize himself. (as quoted by Olympics.com)

"It's in some ways good if that was my last match, that probably was my last match if nothing happens. I lost my first match in the Davis Cup, and I lost my last one. So we close the circle," said Rafael Nadal. "I knew it could be my last match as a professional, and the emotions were difficult to manage. I wasn’t able to read the game quickly enough to feel in control."

The Spaniard played 20 singles matches in 2024, winning 12. His best performance was reaching the final of the Nordea Open in Sweden. The 38-year-old's most notable doubles performance was reaching the quarterfinals of the men's doubles event at the Paris Olympics alongside Carlos Alcaraz.