Rafael Nadal has officially made his return to the match court for the first time since his retirement. Nadal retired from tennis in 2024 at the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga, bringing an end to his 23-year playing career.
Rafael Nadal made his return to the court in an exhibition event against Andy Murray, admitting that his diminished fitness and timing were the toughest challenges. Playing at the Rafa Nadal Academy Slam, the 22-time Grand Slam champion revealed he had only practiced a handful of times in three weeks after almost two years away from the sport.
Despite struggling to reach balls on time, Nadal captained his squad to a 4-3 overall victory over Murray's team. Nadal won two of his four doubles matches, sealing the title alongside Carlos Moya with a 7-5 win against Murray and Fabio Fognini in the deciding tie-break.
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