Rafa Nadal’s ace ambition: Real Madrid club presidency on his radar

On Movistar Plus+, the Spanish tennis player stated that one of his future aspirations is to become Real Madrid's club president.

Chirag

September 20, 2023

In his first major interview since his last match exactly eight months ago at the Australian Open, Rafael Nadal opened up about his future plans. A few months after that match, he made the decision to sit out the remainder of the season. Now, appearing relaxed and in good health, Rafa engaged in a conversation with Juanma Castano in front of the Movistar Plus+ cameras.

During the interview, he dropped hints about his contemplation of stepping away from tennis in 2024, indicating that his choice will hinge on his physical condition. Nadal acknowledged that he has experienced various phases in recent months.

“The last time I spoke in public I didn’t know I had to have surgery,” Nadal told Movistar Plus+.”

“Actually, I had problems since a year and a half ago when I injured my ribs playing against Alcaraz in Indian Wells, although in between I won another Roland Garros. “Sometimes the results make up for the day-to-day pain.”

“The pain hasn’t left him but now it’s manageable.”

“Sometimes my foot doesn’t let me live in peace, it’s hard for me to walk down the stairs, and that happens sometimes” Nadal continued.

At present, his physical condition has opened the door to a decision that has been looming larger with each passing year—the possibility of retirement. Nadal reaffirmed his earlier statement that 2024 could potentially be his final year in professional tennis but couldn’t provide a definitive confirmation.

He explained, “I said that possibly 2024 will be my last year,” Nadal recalled “I stand by that, but I can’t confirm it 100%.”

“I think there’s a good chance that it will be, because I know how my body is but how I’ll be in four months, I don’t know. I’m not sure what I’ll be doing in 2024, because it will change completely depending on what my objectives are.

“If I don’t recover, that’s one thing, if I can compete at a level that excites me, that’s another…

“My hope is, by mid-November, to know how I am physically. These are the deadlines I have set for myself”.

Although discussing retirement is a challenging topic for Nadal, he takes responsibility for his physical issues, attributing them to past lapses in self-care during his younger years. He acknowledged, “I would change a lot of things in my life and my career. I’ve made the wrong decisions when it comes to protecting my physique.”

“I did it when I was younger, but for years I’ve been one of the best players on the circuit. Djokovic has done better because the way he plays has allowed him to play more than me. But I was wrong because I thought my decisions were good.”

When asked about his aspirations after retiring from tennis, Nadal turned his gaze toward his other passion—football. Despite his family ties to Barcelona, he has always been a devoted fan of Real Madrid.

He has a deep admiration for Los Blancos and hopes to play a role in the club’s structure someday.

Nadal expressed, “Yes, I would like to be president of Real Madrid.”

“But at the moment there’s nothing to say, because we have the best possible president. Afterwards, life takes many turns and you have to consider whether you are capable of certain things.”

Real Madrid performance and stats