“Sometimes you see the ball and think: I will take this ball there — and then you come a second late. That is the hardest part.”
Rafael Nadal returned to the tennis court nearly two years after ending his professional career, admitting that adjusting to his altered movement and timing proved to be the most difficult hurdle during his comeback. The 40-year-old Spaniard competed in the Rafa Nadal Academy Slam in Manacor, an invitation tournament held to mark the tenth anniversary of his tennis academy, tennisworldde.com reported.
The Rafa Nadal Academy Slam in Manacor
Nadal captained one team while Andy Murray led the opposing side at the facility in Spain. Nadal’s squad featured David Ferrer, Carlos Moyá, and Richard Gasquet. Murray’s team included Marat Safin, Dominic Thiem, and Fabio Fognini. The exhibition marked Nadal’s first appearance in front of spectators since his final professional match at the Davis Cup Finals 2024 in Málaga. Prior to stepping back on the court, the 22-time Grand Slam champion acknowledged that his training schedule had been extremely limited. He noted that he began practicing roughly three weeks before the event and had hit just five, six, or seven times. Returning to the court after a nearly two-year absence brought initial discomfort, according to the tournament reports.
Movement and Timing Challenges After Two Years Away
Having trained on a near-daily basis for more than two decades, Nadal found the physical readjustment starkly unfamiliar. His movement and shot timing no longer matched the automatic reflexes of his playing days, creating a frustrating gap between intent and execution. He described the difficulty of watching an incoming ball, mapping out the shot, and arriving slightly behind schedule. Despite the physical friction, Nadal called holding the racquet again a positive experience that brought genuine enjoyment. Before the exhibition began, he cautioned fans against expecting the player they remembered from his professional career. His competitive drive is currently at zero, and his stated priorities center entirely on enjoying the day and avoiding injuries following a career defined by hip, abdominal, and foot ailments.
Team Matches and Historical Rivalry with Andy Murray
The tournament format bypassed traditional full matches in favor of short doubles tiebreaks. Murray and Thiem edged Nadal and Ferrer 10-9 in an early encounter, before Nadal teamed up with Gasquet to defeat Murray and Safin 10-0. With the teams tied at 3-3, a final playoff determined the overall winner. Nadal and Moyá defeated Murray and Fognini 7-5 in the decisive tiebreak, giving Nadal’s team a 4-3 overall victory. The scoreline remained secondary to the reunion between Nadal and Murray, who faced each other 24 times during their professional careers, with Nadal claiming 17 victories. Their rivalry spanned encounters at Wimbledon, the French Open, the US Open, and multiple Masters tournaments before both players concluded their professional careers in 2024.
What Lies Ahead for Nadal After the Exhibition
Since stepping away from the professional tour, Nadal has remained largely removed from active tennis, focusing instead on his academy, family, and other ventures. While Murray briefly joined Novak Djokovic’s coaching staff before stepping down, Nadal has kept his schedule open. He has previously discussed the possibility of participating in further invitation events, with Roger Federer frequently mentioned as a potential future opponent.
