Rafael Nadal retired this Tuesday from professional tennis after the elimination of Spain in the Davis Cup, held in Malaga. The Mallorcan, in an emotional act afterwards, reflected on his 20-year career and expressed deep gratitude to those who accompanied him: “Thanks to my family, team, friends, sponsors, to all of you who have supported me during all these years. I feel ‘super lucky’ for so much affection”. Visibly moved, he recalled the importance of his wife, Xisca Perelló, and his son in the most complicated moments. From now on, he will continue to be linked to the world of tennis although in a different way, in addition to the fact that he will be able to attend to his multiple investments in more detail.

“I’m not tired of tennis, but my body doesn’t want more. You have to accept the situation,” he said. About saying goodbye in Spain, the tennis player declared: “It is closing the circle, saying goodbye at home, with my people”. Now, Nadal plans to continue to be linked to tennis through his academy and projects for young talent: “I want to give back everything this sport has given me,” although there will surely be more because of all the investments he has made in recent years.

In sports, he is already linked as captain of Europe in the Laver Cup, as captain of Spain in the Davis Cup and Olympic Games, and has never hidden his desire – if the opportunity arises – to run for president of his favorite football team, Real Madrid. Meanwhile, golf and fishing will be the other sports that will continue in the day-to-day life of one of the greatest sportsmen of all time. Of course, he will remain a Nike ambassador.

EXPANSION OF THE RAFA NADAL ACADEMY

What, a priori, Nadal has said he is most excited about is dedicating more time to the Rafa Nadal Academy, located in Manacor, Mallorca ((it has another in Kuwait and will open a new one in Saudi Arabia).). This high-performance center combines sports and academic training for young tennis players. In addition, there are plans to expand this model to other locations, including Malaga, with the aim of training future generations of tennis players.

INVESTMENT IN THE REAL ESTATE AND HOTEL SECTOR

But it also has other projects. In collaboration with businessman Abel Matutes, Nadal has created the company Palya Invest, with which they plan to invest more than 200 million euros in real estate projects on the Costa del Sol. These projects include the construction of more than 100 luxury villas and apartments in Estepona and the Nagüeles area of Marbella, with completion scheduled between 2027 and 2028.

Nadal has also partnered with the Meliá hotel chain to launch the ZEL brand, a chain of luxury hotels inspired by the Mediterranean lifestyle. The first hotel of this brand opened last year and there are plans to expand to other regions in the future.

INVOLVEMENT IN THE RESTAURANT SECTOR

Nadal has ventured into fine dining with investments in the Tatel and Zela restaurants. Tatel, with locations in Madrid, Ibiza, Doha, Mexico, Valencia and Beverly Hills, offers contemporary Spanish cuisine, while Zela fuses Mediterranean cuisine with Asian influences.

INVESTMENT IN RENEWABLE ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY

Committed to sustainability, Nadal has invested in renewable energy companies and technology startups with high growth potential. His investments include his participation in the home delivery platform Glovo and in the startup Homyhub, which allows users to open their garage doors from their cell phones.

AUDIOVISUAL AND PHILANTHROPIC PROJECTS

Through Mabel Capital, Nadal participates in the production of events such as the Mad Cool music festival and in documentary series for Netflix. In addition, he continues his philanthropic work through the Rafa Nadal Foundation, focused on helping children and young people in vulnerable situations, providing them with educational and sports opportunities.

With all this bouquet of initiatives, Rafael Nadal’s diversification of interests and his commitment to the development of sport, sustainability and wellbeing is reflected, ensuring -if he wants- an active transition after his retirement from professional tennis.

THE LEGACY HE LEAVES BEHIND WITH HIS RECORD

As of this Wednesday, November 20, 2024, his conquest on a tennis court will remain in the memory:

22 Grand Slam titles: 14 Roland Garros, 2 Wimbledon, 2 Australian Open and 4 US Open.
92 ATP titles in total: including 36 Masters 1000 titles, being the player with the most victories in this category along with Djokovic.
Olympic gold medal in singles in Beijing 2008.
Olympic gold medal in doubles at Rio 2016, alongside Marc Lopez.
5 Davis Cup titles with Spain: 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2019.
209 weeks as world number 1 in the ATP ranking.
A total of 1,068 singles wins on the ATP circuit, with a winning percentage of 82.9%.
Player with the most titles on a single surface: 63 clay-court titles.
Record of consecutive wins on the same surface: 81 consecutive clay-court victories between 2005 and 2007.
First male tennis player to win every Grand Slam at least twice in the Open Era.
4 consecutive Roland Garros finals without losing a set: 2008, 2010, 2017 and 2020.
Player with the most Grand Slam finals contested: 30 finals in total.
3-time ATP Tour Finals champion: the only major title that eluded him in his career.
First player to win Roland Garros on his debut (2005) since the beginning of the Open Era.
Most consecutive seasons finishing in the Top 10 of the ATP rankings: 17 consecutive seasons (2005-2022).