Toni Nadal thinks Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova have made more money than Rafael Nadal because of their activities outside tennis, and he’s okay with that.
Rafael Nadal, who has won 22 Grand Slam titles, will soon be stepping away from professional tennis after announcing his retirement following the Davis Cup Finals in November. Many are excited about the possibility of him teaming up again with Carlos Alcaraz for doubles at the Davis Cup before he starts a new chapter in life.
Nadal’s uncle Toni shared that if offered, Rafael would gladly take on the role of Real Madrid’s Director of Football. He’s been a long-time fan of the club. Besides this potential role, Toni expects Rafael to focus more on his successful academy in Mallorca where players like Casper Ruud have trained.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rafael Nadal | 38 | 215 | 7 - 5 |
Life After Tennis:
Fans might wonder how Rafael will adjust to life after tennis. He could learn from Andy Murray, who was surprised by how little he missed tennis after retiring post-Olympics. Some players find it easier to retire because they already have other interests outside sports, like Williams and Sharapova.
Serena started investing while still playing and co-founded Will Perform, which makes pain relief and skincare products. Meanwhile, Maria launched Sugarpova in 2012 and later sold it; she also invested in Supergoop sunscreen.
Unlike these two stars, Rafael hasn’t ventured into business much. Toni mentioned that financial gain wasn’t a big deal for him compared to others who earned more due to their ventures outside tennis.
“My nephew never thought about how much money he earned in tournaments,” Toni recalled an instance when Rafael wanted to retire during a doubles match with Tommy Robredo despite a large prize being at stake.
“For some players like Alcaraz or Federer,” Toni added, “it doesn’t matter because they already have plenty of income outside tennis… Serena Williams and Sharapova earned more than Rafael deservedly.”
Toni also admitted enjoying women’s tennis over men’s as points tend to last longer; he finds modern men’s play less appealing due to its emphasis on power rather than variety—something both he and Rafa agree upon.
“I prefer watching women’s matches,” Toni confessed. “I don’t watch anything in men’s tennis as I like longer rallies.”
What do you think about Rafa’s future plans?
