Rafael Nadal is no longer a professional tennis player, but the sport has not disappeared from his life completely. It has simply changed forms.
The recent opening of the new museum at the Rafa Nadal Academy provided a moment to reflect, but it also made clear where the 22-time major champion’s future now lies.
“Honestly, the centre of my world is the little ones,” Nadal, the former No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, said when asked what excites him now that tennis no longer has centre stage. “Those who follow me can see that my schedule is a bit busier than I would have imagined when I retired.
Much of that activity revolves around the Rafa Nadal Academy. What began as a training project in Manacor is now a huge structure, with daily activity that requires management, vision and a well-drilled team to support its growth.
“The centre we find ourselves in today has become very big; in the summer, we’ll have 700 employees here,” Nadal explained. “That requires professionalism and dedication, and that’s why I have a great team here.”
Nadal stressed that this team was also key to making the museum a reality. The Spaniard was involved in the major decisions, but acknowledged that the day-to-day running of the project was in the hands of trusted people.
“When it came to the main idea for the museum, a different path was taken to the one I had in mind,” Nadal said. “My idea was to make a museum a bit more about sport, not so personal. If there’s one thing I’ve done in my life, it’s listen.
“When I played tennis, I listened to people who maybe didn’t know more than I did, and now, the people I value professionally and personally, well, I listen to them.”
This decision-making process, shared and supported by his inner circle, has not changed after retirement. Nadal no longer competes, but he still operates under the same ethos, surrounding himself with good people, listening and moving forward. Now the next step seems clear: growing his academy.
“If you don’t keep growing, you gradually become smaller,” Nadal said. “We’re going through a process of global expansion after more or less ten years here in Mallorca.”
For Nadal, this growth is not just about business ambitions. He presents it as a natural evolution for someone who remains connected to the sport in a different way. The academy is no longer just about tennis. Other racquet sports have a place there too, and there is now a broader idea of education, values and sporting development.
“I think we have the chance to create a really cool global project and that we’re ready for the next step,” Nadal explained. “But to do it, and do it properly, we have to keep working hard every day, we have to lay very strong foundations.
“The next step is a big challenge, but I’m keen to explore it. I think it’s a natural move for a sports fan like me.”
The museum is part of that universe. It looks back, but it also helps to explain where Nadal is now heading. Much more than a simple collection of memories, it is also a tool for conveying what sport means to him; emotion, learning, values and an entry point for children to take up physical activity.
“Sport evokes emotion in people, in my view, and that’s important,” Nadal said. “And secondly, most sports generate positive educational values for children.
“It has absolutely been shown that professional sport isn’t healthy, but amateur sport is. That’s the ultimate goal.”
Alongside the academy, the other major pillar of this stage of his life is his foundation. Since retiring, Nadal has increased his presence at events and activities aimed at generating resources to support more children and families. Here he also finds a specific way to add value.
“I’m dedicating quite a lot of time to my foundation,” Nadal said. “Since I retired, I’ve done several events a year. I really think I can contribute by putting on events to generate resources so we can keep growing and keep supporting more children and families.”
This is the new Nadal. Not the player travelling from tournament to tournament, but the father who organises his life around his children. Not the competitor training for the biggest events, but the driving force behind an academy that is growing beyond Mallorca. Not the champion amassing titles, but someone trying to turn everything he built during his career into projects with a lasting impact.
Retirement may have closed a door, but Nadal was not left standing in front of it.
“I’m in a new phase of my life and I’m enjoying it,” Nadal said.
- This is the third of three features on the former World No. 1 and 22-time major winner Rafael Nadal, who retired in 2024.
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