Rafael Nadal has largely steered clear of the ATP Tour since retiring from tennis in 2024.
The King of Clay has still influenced the sport from afar, however, particularly with his Academy in Spain, which has been the breeding ground for new talents such as Alex Eala and Coleman Wong.
This week, Nadal will return to action for the Rafael Nadal Academy Slam, which sees him pit a team against a team formed by his former rival Andy Murray.
Nada, Carlos Moya, Richard Gasquet, and David Ferrer will face Murray, Fabio Fognini, Marat Safin, and Dominic Thiem at the Spanish exhibition event.
In promotion for the Rafael Nadal Academy Slam, the King of Clay has opened up about a potential return to the ATP Tour as a coach.
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In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Nadal said: “You should never say never in life. Right now, coaching is not something I’m considering at all.
“In recent months, I have been traveling almost every week and rarely making it home; that is exactly what I want to change in the coming years. As I have said before, I have been traveling practically non-stop lately. It would be even worse if I were working as a coach.
“I enjoyed every second on the Tour, but now it’s time to write a new chapter in my life. I have my family, many exciting projects, and a constant stream of new tasks.”
Since retirement, Nadal has set up a museum at the Rafael Nadal Academy and earlier this year there was a Netflix documentary released about the man.
While Nadal shows no signs that he will return to tennis as a coach, he has been an influential figure in the career of Eala, who has taken the WTA Tour by storm in 2026.
The star, who won her maiden WTA title at the Washington Open earlier this year, trained at Nadal’s Academy before turning professional.
“I’ve been lucky enough to know Alex since she began her journey at Rafa Nadal Academy, and have closely followed her tremendous career,” Nadal explained in the wake of Eala being included in TIME Magazine’s TIME 100 Next 2026 list.
“At just 19, Alex beat three Grand Slam champion players at the 2025 Miami Open. This year, she won a WTA 500 tournament [in Washington], becoming the first player from the Philippines to break into the world’s top 20.
“And she still has plenty of room to grow. One of her greatest strengths is precisely her ability to listen, learn, and keep improving. More importantly, Alex remains a wonderful person—warm, approachable, and humble.
“It isn’t easy to handle becoming a true phenomenon at such a young age, and she deserves a lot of credit for keeping her feet on the ground. Now, all that remains is to keep enjoying watching her progress.”
Eala has undoubtedly been the jewel in the Rafael Nadal Academy’s crown and she will continue her WTA Tour campaign at the Wuhan Open in October.
