Rafael Nadal swaps tennis court for Golf course, makes respectable debut

Spain’s legendary tennis star Rafael Nadal is now making a name for himself in golf as well. The 37-year-old is often regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of men’s tennis in the Open era in the singles category, having won as many as 22 Grand Slam titles.

Nadal has been spending more time off the court than on it in the recent past after struggling with consistent fitness struggles overs the last 18 months. It was because of this reason, he announced in 2023 that the 2024 season would be his last at the highest level.

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While staying away from professional tennis, Nadal has tried his luck in golf and is not doing bad there as well. The former world number one in men’s tennis recently participated in the Absolute Balearic Golf Championship organised in Son Servera over the weekend where he finished in 16th spot. That is not bad for someone who has not played golf at the highest level.

Nadal returned to the court earlier this season but has not lived up to the expectations. He suffered an injury in the Brisbane International which forced him out of action for a considerably amount of time. It was because of that reason he ended up missing the Australian Open as well.

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The 22-time Grand Slam winner then returned to the court in the Barcelona Open but looked out of sorts. His most recent appearance came in the French Open, where he lost in the opening round to Germany’s Alexander Zverev with a score of 6-3, 7-6, 6-3. Recently, Nadal announced that he will not participate in the Wimbledon 2024 as he is eager to play at the Paris Olympics, where he will be teaming up with young sensation Carlos Alcaraz in the doubles category. The mega-event will be played from July 26 to August 11, and thousands of athletes will represent their respective countries in different sports.