Rafael Nadal has stated that it would be \u2018fun\u2019 to participate in an exhibition tour with Roger Federer, but admits that it is something that he would \u2018need to prepare for\u2019 before it were to occur.<\/p>\n
The Spaniard hung up his racket at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals after failing to sufficiently recover his level from a left psoas tear.<\/p>\n
That injury was sustained at the 2023 Australian Open and forced him to end the rest of his season \u2013 missing his beloved French Open for the first time since 2004.<\/p>\n
Nadal<\/a> would attempt a comeback the following year, reaching the last eight at the Madrid Masters and making the showpiece match at the ATP 250 event in Bastad, but it was clear that his body could not match his desire to continue.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, because it (his body) was no longer well,\u201d the 22-time Grand Slam champion responded when asked by AS if he ever thinks about coming back.<\/p>\n \u201cLuckily the stage is completely closed and well closed. I have never been one of those who believe \u2018if I could\u2026\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cI told Marc L\u00f3pez that when he was retired, and we were training, he thought that, if he came back, maybe he would do something and I told him: \u2018The stage is closed, comrade.\u2019 Now the physique gives what it gives, and I think the head too.<\/p>\n \u201cThere comes a time, when you have already stopped the routine, that you cannot get hooked again. It\u2019s very complicated.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve trained a couple of times with girls from the Academy, with Alina (Korneeva) and with Alex (Eala), pure sparring, honestly.<\/p>\n \u201cWithout any encouragement beyond having a good time hitting the ball, supporting them and ensuring that they enjoyed themselves.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s how it\u2019s been and that\u2019s how I take it: without interest or expectation of anything.\u201d<\/p>\n As Nadal noted, tennis fans have been going wild over videos and images of the retired Spaniard with a racket in his hand at his Mallorca Academy \u2013 albeit as a sparring partner.<\/p>\n His long-time rival, Roger Federer, has previously stated that he would love to play exhibition matches around the world, if his knee were in good enough condition to produce an admirable showing.<\/p>\n Likewise, the Spaniard also seems keen, however \u2013 in typical fashion for Nadal \u2013 the Spaniard stresses that he would need to prepare thoroughly before any hypothetical \u2018exhibition tour\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think it will ever be the same again, nor do I intend to [play a tour],\u201d added the former world No 1.<\/p>\n \u201cBut in the future, who knows?<\/p>\n \u201cIf we have fun, if we manage to do something that makes sense and we feel like it, why not?<\/p>\n \u201cThere is no closed door to picking up a racket again, but I would have to prepare myself thoroughly. When you go out to play, you want to be prepared, and right now I\u2019m not.<\/p>\n \u201cIt would take a reasonable amount of time.\u201d<\/p>\n Latest Tennis News<\/p>\n What Rafael Nadal said about on-tour coaching amid Carlos Alcaraz rumours<\/a><\/p>\n