Rafael Nadal was seen ripping tennis balls during a practice session at his academy ahead of his career’s final campaign at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals. The Spaniard has also set a timer for the event, which will be held in his home nation.
Nadal broke the hearts of tennis fans all over the world when he announced that he had decided to hang up his racket after the 2024 Davis Cup Finals on October 10. While many anticipated this announcement given his struggles this season, the news still came as a shock to fans.
He made this news via Instagram following which his penultimate campaign came at the inaugural Six Kings Slam in Riyadh, where he lost his matches against the man who looks up to him, Carlos Alcaraz, and his longtime rival, Novak Djokovic.
Since then, the 38-year-old has been gearing up for his swansong event at his eponymous academy in his hometown, Manacor. He recently took to Instagram to share a clip of him engaging in a rally during a practice session. The Spaniard could be seen ripping forehands and backhands in his signature style.
He also added a countdown to the Davis Cup Finals in his Instagram story.
His academy seems to have made a tremendous recovery after facing a vicious attack from the ‘DANA storm’ which rendered the facility inaccessible. The photo of the flooded courts was posted on Instagram by a student.
Rafael Nadal surprises the kids at his academy with a surprise visits
A few days after the effects of the DANA storm had simmered down, Rafael Nadal decided to surprise the kids at his academy by interacting with them. The kids greeted the 22-time Grand Slam champion with an adorable ‘Hola Rafa’ (Hola means hello in Spanish) as he proceeded to sit with them for a picture.
“It’s been a difficult week for the kids who came to the @rafanadalacademy this week because of the floods… But today they got a great surprise! 😍 An unforgettable memory!” the official page of the academy wrote while posting the picture.
The Spaniard’s former coach and uncle, Toni Nadal, who said that he will be missing the final event of his nephew’s career, has mentioned that the 14-time Roland Garros champion has been preparing at a ‘very high level’ for the Davis Cup Finals.
The Spaniard will be teaming up with Carlos Alcaraz, Roberto Bautista Agut, Pablo Carreno Busta, and Marcel Granollers for his swansong. The team will be led by his former rival David Ferrer. Spain will take on the Netherlands in the quarterfinals on November 19.
