Rafael Nadal consoles Roger Federer during the trophy presentation after the men's final match at the 2009 Australian Open (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)
PARIS – Everything indicates that there will be tennis after tennis for Rafael Nadal. That is what one of the people who knows him best—his uncle and former coach—believes. Toni Nadal sees the 14-time Roland Garros champion playing exhibition matches with Roger Federer and, why not, Novak Djokovic in the near future.
Exhibition Matches with Federer and Djokovic
“I imagine he would like to play an exhibition match with Federer soon, to give back a little of what tennis has given him and what tennis has meant to him,” Toni Nadal told RG Media and CLAY on Tuesday.
The man who coached Nadal for more than two decades believes Djokovic will also be part of that series of exhibitions, especially since the Serbian acknowledged a few days ago in Paris that the end of his career is approaching.
“It would be very special for people to see the three of them playing again. And yes, I think they’ll have to do something, because I suppose it will motivate people to see them play again in the future.”
On Sunday, after the tribute dedicated to him at Roland Garros, Nadal, who will turn 39 on 3 June, admitted that he has not touched a racket for months, but that at some point he will want to get back into shape to play exhibitions.
Benito Pérez Barbadillo, the Spaniard’s communications manager, said that he is “convinced that [Nadal] will consider” playing exhibition matches in the future, something he considered “logical,” although he added that he has “no knowledge of it” at this time.
Toni Nadal added that his nephew did not mention his interest in playing Federer and Djokovic in exhibition matches, but he outlined his arguments as to why it will happen.
“I think I’ve been close enough to him to know him a little and know that he would be excited to play Federer. Tennis has been a big part of his life, it has meant a lot to him, and you can’t just erase that from one day to the next.”
Between 2004 and 2019, Nadal and Federer shaped a rivalry that, due to its contrasts and importance, made tennis history, with 24 wins for the Spaniard and 16 for the Swiss. Last Sunday, Federer took part in a tribute to Nadal alongside Djokovic and Britain’s Andy Murray.
Timeline for Nadal’s Return
When will Nadal return to the courts in exhibition matches? “After these months away from the courts, I think that at some point he will want to get back to training and feel that he is hitting the ball well. I am convinced that he will play again soon, quite soon.”
If not in the next few months, then probably in 2026, added Toni Nadal, aware that his nephew is expecting the birth of his second child this year and that he retired from tennis precisely because his body was giving him clear signs that he could no longer withstand the strain.
Year 2026 could be an intense one for the Spaniard. A senior official from the Italian Tennis Federation (FIT) told CLAY that the Italian Open wants to organise a grand tribute to Nadal, ten-time champion of the tournament—the most important on clay after Roland Garros.
And although Nadal was honoured in 2024, the Madrid Masters 1000 would be delighted to welcome him back as an exhibition player.
“And not just once, ten times if he wants!” Gerard Tsobanian, president and CEO of the Spanish tournament, told CLAY in Paris. “If Rafa can play in a way that doesn’t cause him physical pain and can put on a show, as he has done all these years, why not?”
Sebastián Fest
Journalist. Founder of CLAY, a global tennis media platform. More than 70 Grand Slams covered during a 35-year journalistic career. He is the former Sports Editor of the German news agency DPA and the Argentine newspaper La Nación. He has reported on every FIFA World Cup since 1998 and every Olympic Games since 1996.
He is the author of 'Ni rey ni dios' and 'Messiánico', biographies of Lionel Messi, and 'Sin red', a decade-long journey following Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, as well as 'Gracias', a biography of Nadal.
Correspondent for Spanish newspaper El Mundo in South America, he co-chaired the International Tennis Writers Association (ITWA), an organization that gathers the 100 most influential tennis journalists in the world, and is currently a board member. He was also Editor-in-Chief of Around the Rings, a site focused on high-level sports politics.
