'I hope to return one day': Rafael Nadal explains why he skipped Wimbledon this year

Rafael Nadal explained why he decided not to attend Wimbledon this year, unlike his colleague Roger Federer, who was seated in the Royal Box watching his old rival Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals. The former Spanish tennis player decided not to make an appearance at SW19 this year, as he enjoys his time in Mallorca with his family.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion has been retired for about 8 months, since the Davis Cup Finals in November 2024. He recently made his last public appearance at Roland Garros, where he received a tribute from the tournament in an emotional reunion that brought the Big-4 together again in a special ceremony.

Recently, Federer appeared with his wife Mirka to watch some matches of the tournament, including Mirra Andreeva's fourth-round match against Emma Navarro and his old rival Novak Djokovic against Alex De Minaur.

One might have expected Nadal's presence during this tournament, to visit the event for the first time as a retired player, and perhaps enjoy some matches from the Royal Box, considering the Spaniard is a two-time champion at the All England Club.

However, Nadal remains enjoying a quiet time in Mallorca with his family, and he acknowledged in an interview with The Times that he has "no regrets" about not attending Wimbledon this year. "Honestly no, I’ve had a change of life. I’m enjoying the tournament from a different perspective. I hope in the future I can go back to Wimbledon. Now I’m in a different phase of life," he said.

The Spanish player is currently accompanying his wife, Maria Francisca Perello, in the final stage of her pregnancy, now at eight months, and caring for their son, Rafa, who is just two years old and stole the spotlight at the recent French Open during the tribute ceremony. "It’s my first summer in Mallorca ever. After retiring I was in bad shape for a month, I practically couldn’t walk. I’m better than I could have imagined," the former World No. 1 added.

Nadal last played the Wimbledon tournament in 2022, with an unfortunate retirement exit. He had a five-match winning streak leading up to the semifinals – turning around an epic five-set match against Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinals – but he couldn't present himself for the semifinal against Nick Kyrgios, giving the Australian a direct pass to his first Grand Slam final. Nadal ended his career with a notable 58-12 record at Wimbledon (85% winning percentage), two titles, and three finals.