Rafael Nadal admits he has played tennis with his son after retirement at the Davis Cup last year
Rafael Nadal was recently awarded the Excellent Trophy at the 77th Gala of Mundo Deportivo.
Rafael Nadal with his son (via X and Bleacher Report)
When Rafael Nadal, aged 38, announced his retirement from tennis on October 10, 2024, it marked an extremely emotional moment for the tennis world. The Spaniard played his last match against Botic van de Zandschulp in the quarterfinals of the Davis Cup 2024.
Since that moment, he hasnāt played tennis except for a few times with his two-year-old son at home, Nadal revealed in an interview with LaVanguardia. He expressed his excitement to be at the Mundo Deportivo Gran Gala, a gala of the newspaper with which heās shared his career.
I havenāt touched a racket. I will at some point, but since that goodbye in Malaga (on November 20), Iāve only played a short time with my son at home. Iām just trying to organize myself outside of sport. Without realizing it, I already have a lot of work to do that I canāt avoid, but I need time to decide what I want to do, beyond what I have to do because itās inevitable.
Rafael Nadal via LaVanguardia
When he was on stage, Rafael Nadal remarked that the best thing now is that he is living with little pain. He is having a good time, and now he can go down the stairs without any pain. When he stopped speaking, the audience gave him a standing ovation. The ovation lasted for three minutes, until Nadal said enough. When they gave him back the microphone, he confessed that he feels proud and also a little ashamed.
The 77th edition of the Gran Gala de Mundo Deportivo took place on February 3, 2025, at the Palau de Congressos de Catalunya in Barcelona. While Nadal has received numerous awards at this Gala in the past, this yearās honor was different. It marked his first major recognition in his new chapter of his life, post-retirement. Javier Godo, president of the Godo Group took the stage to present Nadal with the Extraordinary Trophy.
Besides Rafael Nadal, several accomplished Spanish sportspersons were honored by Mundo Deportivo
The accomplishments of several other prominent Spanish sportsmen and sportswomen were also honored at the Gala. Two-time Ballon dāOr Feminin winner Aitana Bonmati was awarded the Repsol Trophy, recognizing her extraordinary year with Barca, winning the Champions League, Copa del Rey, and Spanish Super Cup, as well as the Nations League with the Spanish womenās football team.
The Spanish womenās water polo team was awarded with the Brillianto Trophy. The team has won numerous accolades throughout the years, including the Olympic silver medals at London 2012 and Tokyo 2021 and the gold medal at Paris 2024.
Teresa Perales, the most decorated Spanish paralympian in history, was awarded the Movistar Trophy. She made her Olympic debut in Sydney 2000 and won her 28th Olympic medal at Paris 2024. Her Olympic haul includes seven gold, ten silver, and eleven bronze medals.
2024 was a remarkable year for the Spanish menās football team, who won the Euro 2024, Olympic gold, and the Nations League (2023). The menās Olympic football team was awarded the CaixaBank Trophy, while the menās football team was awarded the Renfe Trophy.
