The Rafa Nadal’s new life has already begun. It was the Spaniard himself who announced that he would retire after the Davis Cup dispute, because his body had told him enough, and the elimination of Spain this Tuesday brought forward the expected date by a few days.
Who else expected a better role from the Navy. With Carlos Alcaraz at the helm and a Nadal who was leaving a great image in training – or at least that’s what we all wanted to think –, the dream retirement was with Nadal lifting the Davis on Sunday at the MartÃn Carpena in Málaga. Or, at least, playing in the final that day, since the very powerful Italy loomed on the horizon.
It was not like that and The withdrawal left a strange residue. Some emotional videos, a thunderous applause from the public, an emotional speech with tears from the protagonist, and little else. Perhaps Sunday would have been something else, with more personalities – the kings, their rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, some more illustrious personalities… – but we will never know.
And now, Rafa has to face a harsh reality that not all elite athletes cope in the best way. The training routine is over, getting up every morning to hit the ball, to be better than the day before. Now it’s time for a new, radically different life.
Of course, let’s not fool ourselves, the former Balearic player faces it in a privileged way. To leave just one fact, during his professional career he has pocketed no less than 123 million euros on the ATP circuit. And his fortune is estimated, according to Forbes magazine, at 550 million dollars thanks to sponsorships such as Nike, Movistar, Sabadell, Santander, Kia, Babolat, Richard Mille or Movistar.
“My family has never failed me, they have been with me in bad times and have kept my feet on the ground when everything was going well. That makes whatever comes in the future easier to handle,” Rafa said in his farewell speech. He football, golf or sailingThese are some of his hobbies, but what is really going to occupy his time – apart, obviously, from his family – are his businesses, especially the Rafa Nadal Academy. It is one of the main tennis venues where some of the great promises of world tennis are trained – Casper Ruud came from there, whom he precisely won the Roland Garros final in 2022 – which has a residence, numerous tennis and paddle tennis courts, a hotel and several restaurants.
“He has been assuming and preparing for this moment for some time, he knew that the stage of professional tennis had a beginning and an end,” he explained a few months ago. his uncle and former coach, Toni Nadal, one of the people who knows Rafa best.
Also linked to tennis is his project as ambassador of the saudi federationannounced last February and not without controversy. 2Need, none. What do they pay me? Yes. Do I need the money I am going to receive? Not at all, it’s not going to change my life. My contract with them is to promote tennis. Whitewashing is not my goal“Nadal explained then.
And then there are the rest of their businesses, which are not exactly few: of restoration (the Tatel luxury restaurant chain), real estate (the holding Aspemir and partnerships with Palladium and Meliá Hotels International) and cosmetics (along with Cantabria Labs).
Already on the horizon, a rumor that has always been in the air and that he has been responsible for fueling: the presidency of Real Madrid. “I think I would like it. But first of all, today we have the best president possible,” he said a few months ago. His friendship with Florentino Pérez makes it more than possible.