Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Rafael Nadal hasn’t ruled out the possibility of starting a new tournament alongside fellow tennis legends, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. Nadal hung up his tennis racket last year, but the 22-time Grand Slam winner has revealed he’d be keen to turn his hand to another sport, if it meant getting the better of his fellow ‘Big Four’ rivals.
The Spanish ace was a fierce competitor throughout his time as a professional, with many considering him the greatest clay-court player of all time. But it’s on the fairways and greens where Nadal is hoping to get the better of his former foes, with the 38-year-old having focused his attention on golf following retirement.
Speaking in an interview with The Times about his love of the sport, Nadal opened up about his desire to compete against Federer, Djokovic and Murray on the golf course. He stated: “Yes, it could happen, but they have to get training – I have a bit of an advantage in that. On the tennis court, there wasn’t that much difference between us, but in this [golf] I’m much better than them.”
Fighting talk from Nadal, who clearly fancies himself over the rest, despite Federer, Djokovic and Murray all being keen golfers. But as for the sport that he made his name in, Nadal admitted he’s got no real motivation to get back onto the court, even if it was just from a recreational point of view.
The 14-time French Open champion continued: “I haven’t yet found the moment in my routine to have that personal motivation to play again. Probably in the future, if I feel a personal reason to do it, for an exhibition match or something like that. Then I’ll have that motivation. But for now, that moment hasn’t come yet.”
Despite retiring six months ago, Nadal has still been soaking in the adulation from the tennis world following a glittering career at the highest level. While he claims it was initially hard to take all of the plaudits, the Mallorca-born star has since come round to it.
Speaking after he picked up the Laureus Sports Icon Award, he added: “Now it’s different. Back then, I hadn’t made my decision yet. It [was] a difficult time emotionally, trying to manage everything you feel, while also trying to give back to the fans all the love and support they give you. But at the same time, you have to find a way to isolate yourself emotionally, so you’re not carried away by the moment. I wanted to be absolutely sure that, when I retired, it was the right move. I would have hated being at home today thinking I should be out there playing tennis. And today, I’m completely at peace with it. I know I gave everything I had until the very end.”
