Rafael Nadal Returns to the Court for Academy Exhibition Tournament
Rafael Nadal returns to the tennis court today in an exhibition tournament celebrating his academy's anniversary, marking his first appearance since retiring in November 2024.
Rafael Nadal returns to the court today (Saturday) for an exhibition tournament celebrating the 10th anniversary of his academy, marking his first appearance since retiring from professional tennis in November 2024 at the Davis Cup in Malaga.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion spent months away from the sport to recover from chronic left-foot injuries and disconnect from two decades of intense competition. For this special event, Nadal has surrounded himself with former rivals and friends, including Andy Murray, who will captain the opposing team.
Nadal's team features David Ferrer, Carlos Moya, and Richard Gasquet, while Murray's squad includes Dominic Thiem, Marat Safin, and Fabio Fognini. The tournament will feature four doubles matches decided by a super tie-break up to 10 points, starting at 18:00 Israel time.
Throughout his illustrious career, Nadal also excelled in doubles, claiming 11 titles, including an Olympic gold medal at the 2016 Rio Games alongside Marc Lopez.
