Rafael Nadal will return to Jeddah next week for the Next Gen ATP Finals 2025, taking on a role that blends mentorship, promotion, and development support for one of the sport’s fastest-growing markets.
While over a year into retirement, 22-time major champion Rafael Nadal has never truly left the tennis news cycle, much like other all-time greats who have bid adieu to the sport.
It is 2025, but members of the "Big Three" can still grab headlines in the tennis world with ease. Of course, Novak Djokovic is still playing at a high level.
Rafael Nadal had the better of Andy Murray on and off the tennis court… The Spaniard and Brit met 24 times on the professional ATP Tour. Nadal won their head-to-head 17-7, dominating the three-time Grand Slam champion.
While he is one of only four men’s players in the Open Era to win multiple major titles on all three surfaces, Rafael Nadal’s name will always be synonymous with red clay—a surface he ruled for over a decade and a half, amassing an otherworldly winning percentage of over 90 percent in more than 500 total matches played.
Ever since Federer claimed his first Grand Slam title in 2003, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic have dominated the major tournaments. Together, the ‘Big Three’ picked up a total of 66 Grand Slams during their careers, leaving very little room for anyone else to make an impact.
Long before Rafael Nadal made clay courts around the world his playground, tennis had Bjorn Borg, who, alongside his dominance at the All-England Club, won a then-record six French Open titles, including a four-peat from 1978 to 1981.
Rafael Nadal finally called an end to his legendary career in 2024. Nadal retired at the Davis Cup last year, representing Spain in his final match, which was a defeat to Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands.
Casper Ruud has played three Grand Slam finals, two of which were at the French Open. The Norwegian ace reached consecutive French Open finals in 2022 and 2023, losing the matches to Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, respectively.
This year at the Davis Cup Finals, only one top-10 player participated. It was Germany’s Alexander Zverev. World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz wanted to feature, but an injury that he suffered during the ATP Finals title clash against arch-rival Jannik Sinner forced him to withdraw from the event.
Spain’s tennis icons, Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz, have often praised each other publicly, highlighting the respect and admiration between generations.
Only three answers generally come up when tennis fans debate over who the greatest of all time is on the men’s side. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are widely considered the three best to ever do it, with the trio of stars each boasting 20 or more Grand Slam titles.
Tennis legend Bjorn Borg has revealed who he thinks will win between him and Rafael Nadal had they faced off at Roland Garros. The Swedish legend holds one of the best records on tour, having just played in 27 Grand Slam main draws and won 11 of them, becoming the first player to earn double digits in major titles in the Open Era.
Ever since Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer retired, the possibility of them playing against each other in exhibition matches has always been floating around, and the idea has gained more and more momentum this year — a prospect that has excited not only fans but the entire tennis world.
Roger Federer and Tony Godsick are planning a Fedal Tour, which will see the Swiss maestro lock horns with his fellow retired colleague, Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard, however, needs some time to prepare so that he doesn’t allow his former longtime rival to make a fool of him.
Nick Kyrgios couldn’t stand Rafael Nadal. He despised Nadal “immensely,” and while they were on the tour, when Kyrgios used to see the 22-time Grand Slam champion, it filled him with “hatred”.
Joao Fonseca is quickly becoming one of the most talked-about young players on the ATP Tour. The Brazilian picked up his first two ATP Tour titles this year and finished the season ranked 24th in the world.
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal built a lasting friendship while facing off across the ATP Tour. Between 2004 and 2019, the pair – who hold a collective 42 Grand Slam singles titles – met 40 times on the tour.
It’s a tale as old as time. A young, ridiculously talented athlete bursts onto the scene, dazzling everyone and instantly becoming the Next Big Thing. For FC Barcelona, that prodigy is Lamine Yamal.
Rafael Nadal has officially called time on his playing career, signing off after competing in the 2024 Davis Cup Finals. Playing in front of a packed home crowd in Malaga, Spain, Nadal couldn’t get past Botic van de Zandschulp, falling to the Dutchman 6-4, 6-4.
AI is growing into a tool many people use nowadays, but not all for the right reasons. Rafael Nadal was the victim of this, as he had to take to social media to warn his fans and followers about fake videos of himself created with artificial intelligence.
Rafael Nadal has become a father for the second time with his wife Mery Perello giving birth to their second child Miquel this past week, it has been confirmed by Spanish press.
Spanish tennis icon Rafael Nadal has broken yet another record despite retiring in 2024. The ‘King of Clay’ recently had one of his match-used rackets sold at auction for an astonishing $157,000, officially making history as the most expensive racket ever sold.