Nadal Sets Feb. 28 Date for First U.S. Match Since Retirement
The 40-year-old Spaniard will take the court at T-Mobile Arena to mark his return to American soil after two years away from professional competition.
By James Brooks ·
Rafael Nadal is scheduled to step onto a tennis court in the United States for the first time in two years on Feb. 28.
The match will serve as his opening appearance in Las Vegas since his retirement from professional tour play in 2024. It is part of an exhibition titled The MGM Slam presented by Capital One, hosted at T-Mobile Arena. The event is timed to occur just before the ATP 1000 tournament in Indian Wells, California.
Nadal, who turned 40 in June, said he had played almost no tennis prior to an exhibition with Andy Murray and others last month. That earlier event marked the 10-year anniversary of his academy. He described his physical preparation as a step-by-step process due to an "old body" that requires patience to avoid injury. He underwent surgery on his right hand nearly a year ago, which limited his mobility for four months.
The retired two-time Olympic champion is currently balancing his schedule with family and business obligations. He admitted to arriving eight minutes late to a video interview on a Monday evening because he was putting his two sons to bed. His daily routine at home on the island of Mallorca involves dropping his children at the Rafa Nadal Academy at 8:30 a.m., working out, and managing his office until 3:30 p.m. when he picks them up again.
Nadal said he is in almost weekly contact with former rival Roger Federer. While he did not rule out a future exhibition between the two, he noted that they have not yet found the right reason or place to make it happen. He stated that they discuss golf and sports but do not maintain a group chat that includes Novak Djokovic, who remains active in competition.
The Spaniard used the interview to renew his call for changes to the sport's infrastructure. He argued that a rolling ranking system based on two years of results would give injured players more time to recover without their rankings dropping rapidly. He also criticized the extension of Masters 1000 tournaments to two weeks, calling it a mistake. Nadal suggested that the tour plays on surfaces that are too aggressive for the body and joints, noting that professional sports rarely utilize clay or grass to the same extent.
His academy, which employs up to 700 workers, recently celebrated having six players ranked in the top 100. Those players include Alex Eala and Casper Ruud. Nadal said he is not looking to become a full-time coach in the immediate future because he cannot commit to staying with a player while raising his young sons. He said he plays the upcoming exhibition for himself to enjoy the preparation and the feeling of playing in front of a crowd, rather than to provide a demonstration for his children.
