Mallorca’s Rafa Nadal calls less pain his biggest win
Mallorca’s Rafa Nadal says his biggest victory now comes each morning: waking up with less pain. The former tennis player from Manacor makes the admission in a Sports Illustrated interview reported on 1 October 2026. He also weighs the future of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s rivalry and talks about life after tennis.
Nadal says his career was exhausting, both physically and mentally. He had hand surgery some time ago and has had practically no pain since, he says. The winner of 22 Grand Slam titles looks back on his playing years with gratitude.
Alcaraz and Sinner’s uncertain future
Nadal calls Alcaraz and Sinner the best players on the tour right now. But he says no one can know how long they will stay at that level. Their bodies, mental stability and the arrival of younger players will all matter.
He still watches important matches, particularly those involving Alexander Zverev. Nadal says players can ease off after reaching a goal, but need to keep working to give themselves more chances.
Family and new projects
Nadal says he has played tennis only four or five times since retiring. He now spends time with his family and works on new projects. His Rafa Nadal Academy employs more than 650 people full-time on Mallorca, he says.
Coaching a professional player is not in his plans for now, though he does not rule it out. He is also developing the ZEL hotel brand with Meliá. Nadal says they expect seven hotels to be operating by early 2027.
Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com