Rafael Nadal plays tennis return at academy tournament in Manacor

Rafael Nadal returned to a tennis court nearly two years after ending his professional career, playing at the Rafa Nadal Academy Slam in Manacor, tennisworldde.com reported. The 22-time Grand-Slam-winning Spaniard led a team at the exhibition tournament celebrating his academy’s tenth anniversary, acknowledging that his preparation had been extremely limited and that physical movement felt entirely unfamiliar after such a long layoff.

Before the exhibition event began, the 40-year-old explained that his training regimen had barely covered three weeks. Well, I started training about three weeks ago. Before today, I practiced seven times, or I don’t know, maybe six, seven, or five times. But when you haven’t trained for almost two years, honestly, it’s not exactly nice to get back on the court.

The exhibition matches in Manacor utilized short double tiebreaks instead of regular sets. Nadal paired with David Ferrer initially, falling 10-9 to Andy Murray and Dominic Thiem. He later teamed with Richard Gasquet to defeat Murray and Marat Safin 10-0. In the decisive tiebreak, Nadal and Carlos Moyá beat Murray and Fabio Fognini 7-5 to secure a 4-3 overall victory for Nadal’s squad.

Nadal’s past rivalry with Murray spanned 24 professional meetings, with the Spaniard winning 17 times. Their history includes Grand Slam semifinals at Wimbledon in 2010 and 2011, as well as the US Open in 2008 and the Australian Open in 2010. Both players concluded their professional careers in 2024.

Movement and Timing Challenges After Two Years Away

More than two decades of nearly daily training preceded Nadal’s retirement in November 2024, which followed persistent hip, abdominal, and foot injuries. Returning to the court exposed an immediate gap between visual anticipation and physical execution. Sometimes you see the ball and you think: I’m going to take this ball there – and then you arrive a second late. Overall, it was a good experience to hold the racket again. It was a good feeling to hit the balls, and it was a lot of fun.

The former world number one emphasized that competitive ambition no longer drives his presence on the court. The competitive Rafael Nadal is at zero, if I’m being completely honest. I have no sporting ambitions other than to have a good time and try to make sure we don’t get hurt.

Nadal Returns to Public View at Academy Tournament

The Rafa Nadal Academy Slam brought together prominent tennis figures in Manacor, with Nadal and Andy Murray serving as team captains. Alongside Nadal and Murray, the tournament featured competitors such as David Ferrer, Carlos Moyá, Richard Gasquet, Marat Safin, Dominic Thiem, and Fabio Fognini. The matches marked Nadal’s first public appearance in front of spectators since his final professional appearance at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals in Málaga.

Talks surrounding future exhibition appearances have consistently included Roger Federer as a potential opponent. Nadal and Federer share a well-documented history of famous matches and have maintained close ties following their respective retirements.

Nadal continues to focus on his tennis academy, family, and ongoing projects following his departure from the ATP Tour.