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Rafael Nadal recently bid adieu to tennis at the 2024 Davis Cup, ending one of the most glorious careers in tennis history. Throughout this two-decade journey, Nadal won 22 Grand Slam titles, the second-highest number of all time, among several other achievements and records.
Despite a range of injuries that sometimes threatened his career, Nadal rose from the setbacks that affected his game and came back strong multiple times. However, with regard to his retirement, the Spaniard hinted towards the same a couple of times before making the final call this year.
Nadal spent most of his childhood and youth playing tennis and then pursued the same professionally. Hence, one cannot help but wonder what the King of Clay will do after seeking retirement from the game.
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Let's look at 5 predictions for Nadal's career post-retirement:
#5 Playing Pickleball
Rafael Nadal is one of the many sportspersons who have caught on to the pickleball fever. The Spaniard inaugurated new pickleball courts at his academy in Mallorca last year.
Nadal's sister Maribel was also seen playing the sport soon after the said inauguration wherein she also drew parallels between tennis and this other racquet sport.
As other legendary tennis players like Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick are seen investing more time in pickleball, and Nadal's contemporary, Roger Federer, too showed interest in the same, it would not be wrong to assume that the Spaniard might be seen spending time playing pickleball too.
#4 Coaching the next generation
Rafael Nadal pretty much reached the pinnacle of success in his tennis career. Therefore, when it comes to predictions regarding his plans post-retirement, coaching the next generation of tennis players is surely a possibility.
Nadal’s experience, particularly on clay courts, and his unparalleled work ethic make him an ideal mentor. As someone who embodies mental toughness and comes with years of on-court experience, he could inspire young players to reach their potential.
Nadal’s academy in Mallorca, the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar, is already nurturing budding talent. Post-retirement, there is a big possibility that in addition to investing more into the operations of the Academy, he might offer one-on-one guidance to players or even tour with them during major tournaments.
#3 Pursuing Golf
Rafael Nadal may have bid farewell to competitive tennis but is likely to remain connected with the game. However, he is expected to enter the competitive circuit in another sport very soon.
It is speculated that he is likely to participate in the FGB Hexagonal Golf Circuit where he previously made two appearances back in 2021 and 2022. He represented the Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy both times and finished fifth and first respectively.
Being a competitor at heart, Nadal also expressed his willingness to compete in different sports such as golf back in 2022. He said:
"I always like to practice different sports as I said on the corner (yesterday). Unfortunately, the last years I was not able to play football anymore or even different kinds of sports that I used to do."
"So golf helps because it's not aggressive, it's not dangerous, I am able to spend time with the people that I like and in some way I feel that I am competing when I am not able to practice or play at the (ATP) tour,” Nadal added.
#2 Investing in the Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy
Rafael Nadal established the Rafa Nadal Foundation in 2010, a platform dedicated to using sport as a source to help children towards a better future.
The foundation has a wide range of programs such as the NETS project (Nadal Educational Tennis School) in India, the Olazabal and Nadal golf tournaments, the opening of foundation centers in Palma, Valencia and Madrid, and charity races, among others.
He also founded the Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy by Movistar in his hometown Mallorca. This state-of-the-art academy was established in 2016 and Nadal mentioned back then that it is where he will be spending a lot of his time after retirement. Therefore, it would not be wrong to assume the Spaniard would now be seen investing more in his foundation, academies, and associated projects. He is also the brand ambassador of the Saudi Tennis Federation.
#1 Exploring a Backstage Role in Football
Rafael Nadal delved into the dilemma he faced between pursuing a career in football instead of tennis in his autobiography, Rafa: My Story, and has often shown great interest in the sport.
As a big Real Madrid fan, there have been a few speculations around Nadal taking up a role with the club, something that was touched upon by his uncle and long-time coach, Toni Nadal. He said (via Daily Express):
"I imagine that if he is offered the position of director of Madrid, he would be delighted."
"I haven’t said president. I think it’s because he is such a big fan of Real Madrid....He really likes sport, especially football, so I think that of course he would like to be involved, but I don’t know. I am speaking without any more knowledge than my intuition," he added.
Given Nadal's passion for soccer and his desire to remain connected to sports, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him take on a new role within the world of football.
What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Check here
