It’s been more than a week since Rafael Nadal announced his retirement from tennis. After spending over two decades on the court, in a career gilded with 22 Grand Slams, the former World No.1 has finally hung up his racket. While his avid fans are still trying to accept the fact that he won’t make a return ever, one former Swedish legend believes otherwise. According to ex-ATP Pro Mats Wilander, there’s still hope for the King of Clay to make a comeback – but in a different role. Well, how about coaching one of his compatriots?

In an interaction with Eurosport, former World No.1 and Swedish player Mats Wilander had an interesting thought to share regarding Rafael Nadal. It was in context to the news of Novak Djokovic hiring Andy Murray as a coach ahead of the Australian Open in 2025. For those unaware, Murray took retirement after the Paris Olympics earlier this year. He’s been a long-time rival, as well as a friend, of Djokovic. From now on, the two will share a different dynamic of a player and coach.

Reflecting on it, Wilander said that he thinks Nadal may also come back from retirement as a coach. “It’s very possible that Rafa Nadal comes back as a coach, and obviously, because of the Novak Djokovic-Andy Murray story that has just cracked open,” he said in the interview, dated November 28.

Moreover, the former ATP pro even made a prediction about who could be the perfect player for Nadal’s tutelage. “I can even imagine Rafael Nadal coaching Carlos Alcaraz, for example,” he said. “A player like Carlos Alcaraz, the one thing that they are missing is to keep the same intensity level, from the first point till the last point.”

According to Wilander, Nadal can help Alcaraz to stay extremely focused – something the Spaniard is lacking as of now. “Rafael Nadal was the master in keeping the same focus from the first point to the last point. Carlos Alcaraz, at this particular moment, he’s not able to do that in every match. Rafael Nadal was able to,” he added.

It’s also worth noting that the combination of Alcaraz and Nadal might actually work, given the great bond they already share. Ahead of Nadal’s farewell match, Carlos had mentioned that Rafa has always been his idol. He was clearly not ready to see him retire so soon. “If someone had told me that I had a chance of convincing him to continue, I would have done it,” he said during an interview with Marca, dated November 9th.

Meanwhile, Nadal is busy enjoying his time off tennis, now that he’s free. And what better way to make the most of the retirement phase than going to the golf course?

Rafael Nadal takes his love for golf forward after retirement

Nadal’s love for golf is no secret. He’s always expressed his deep interest in the sport even during his professional career. And now that he’s got all the time in the world, the 14-time Roland Garros champion has begun to indulge in his passion for golf. Last Saturday, the 38-year-old participated in the FGB Hexagonal Q-Romia Circuit at Club de Golf Son Servera. Not only that, he even finished among the top 10 players!

Nadal achieved a score of 76 strokes, four over par. He hit birdies on the par-5 ninth and sixteenth holes and on the par-3 third hole. Notably, he was leading at one point in the first position. However, he couldn’t maintain the lead till the end. Still, finishing eighth among close to 80 players is no joke, right?

The ultimate winner of the competition was the Terraza Balear Part of Gunni Trentino. On the second spot was Engel&Volkers Commercial, followed by God Save the Par. Speaking of Nadal’s team, the Rafael Nadal Academy, it finished in the fourth position. Lastly, Ejusan Ecologic B rounded out the top five.

For those unaware, Nadal has been actively participating in several golf events even before his retirement. In the last four years, he’s already played the Balearic Mid-Amateur Golf Championship three times. Earlier this year in February, he finished three over par for a total of 147 strokes in two rounds. His seven-stroke win over Jaime Nicolau Olmos secured him the men’s title.

Do you think Nadal will be spending most of his time playing Golf in his post-retirement phase or will he consider becoming a tennis coach? Let us know in the comments below.