“No doubt about it”: Rennae Stubbs predicts Rafael Nadal's post-retirement role

Former Serena Williams’ coach, Rennae Stubbs, has shared her thoughts on Rafael Nadal's future following his retirement. The American tennis expert believes the 22-time Grand Slam champion will play a crucial role in Spanish tennis over the next two to three years.

The 38-year-old former player concluded his professional career at the recent Davis Cup Finals. In his final singles match, he faced Botic Van de Zandschulp, suffering a 4-6, 4-6 defeat. Although Carlos Alcaraz managed to level the tie against Tallon Griekspoor, a doubles loss sealed Spain’s fate in the tournament, marking the end of Nadal’s illustrious career.

After a year of speculation surrounding his retirement, Nadal decided to bow out while representing Spain. Months earlier, he made a final push to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where he lost in the second round to Novak Djokovic. That match, their 60th meeting (31-29 in Djokovic’s favour), brought an end to the greatest rivalry in tennis history.

Ahead of the Davis Cup, Nadal expressed his feelings about representing Spain: "The feeling to play for your country, the feeling to play for your teammates, and if you have a good relationship with the team, something that happened I think 99% of the times in our careers… have been 20 years of playing this competition," the 22-time major champion said.

"Everybody knows how much I love my country in general. I haven’t been able to move from the country ever, so I enjoy living here. And to play my last event in Spain is something that makes me very happy," he added.

Following Nadal’s retirement, Stubbs commented on her podcast that she envisions the Spaniard taking up a leadership role with the Davis Cup team: "I have never seen a guy more pumped watching another team try and win a match. He was up and out of the stands, pointing his finger," she said.

"There is no doubt that in the next two or three years, he will be the captain of the Spain Davis Cup team. He was yelling at David Ferrer, calling him over. He was saying stuff to Alcaraz, pointing his finger. It was so great to watch. None of it was over the top, none of it was inappropriate," she added.

Stubbs also highlighted Nadal’s unparalleled passion for tennis: "He loves tennis. I know Roger [Federer] loves tennis, but I think Roger loved the whole thing about fame and being adored. Rafa just loved to compete. The effort he put into that singles match – he tried to the ends of the earth," she concluded.