Rafael Nadal means competing without a break. Just last week, the 22-time Grand Slam winner hanged up his tennis racket and said his final goodbye to an illustrious career. Facing Botic Van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands, in the QF round, Nadal seemed like a shadow of his past self as he couldn’t dominate the Dutchman. The latter managed to get the better of Rafa and took the match 6-4, 6-4 in straight sets. While many people were curious to know what would the King of Clay do after retirement, he’s made it pretty much clear now, thanks to an update coming from his hometown in Mallorca.

Rafael Nadal has taken to his passion for golf. The 38-year-old took to the golf course and participated in the FGB Hexagonal Q-Romia Circuit at Club de Golf Son Servera on Saturday. What’s more?

Well, he succeeded in finishing at the eighth position with a score of 76 strokes, four over par, as reported by Spanish website Ultima Hora. Nadal’s birdies on the par-5 ninth and sixteenth holes, and on the par-3 third hole, highlighted his round. At one stage, he was, in fact, on the first spot, but couldn’t maintain the lead. But earning eighth place, among close to 80 players, in the Handicap category, is still commendable to say the least, isn’t it?

While he and his team gave their best, the ultimate winner of the competition was the team of Terraza Balear Part of Gunni Trentino. On second position was Engel&Volkers Commercial, followed by God save The Par. Nadal’s The Rafael Nadal Academy took the fourth spot, while Ejusan Ecologic B rounded out the top five.

For those unaware, Nadal’s passion for golf is not new. The tennis icon, a keen golfer, has participated in the Balearic Mid-Amateur Golf Championship three times in the last four years. This year in February, Nadal outperformed the field, finishing three over par for a two-round total of 147 strokes. His seven-stroke victory over Jaime Nicolau Olmos secured him the men’s title.

In fact, he’s expressed his liking for the sport on numerous occasions in the past.

When Rafael Nadal revealed his brewing passion for golf

Back in 2012, speaking to Miami Herald, the 14-time Roland Garros champion had expressed his inner thoughts on golf. While unleashing his love for the sport, he said, “I love the game of golf in general,” he said. Continuing further, he added, “Golf is great, because you are always in beautiful places when you are playing, and the risk for injury, as you know, is very small.”

Moreover, his craze for the sport even attracted golf legend Tiger Woods, who became a fan of him! Back in 2019, during the R16 at the US Open, Woods was spotted watching Rafael Nadal. Later in that event, Nadal emerged victorious at the Flushing Meadows and lifted the trophy after defeating Daniil Medvedev in a five-set thriller. After winning the final, Rafa extended his gratitude towards Woods.

“It’s a huge honour to play in front of all of [New York fans] but to play in front of Tiger is a very special thing. I’ve always said that I don’t have idols, but if I did I would have to say that one idol is him. I always try to follow him, every single shot through the whole year,” he said. “He’s a big legend of sport, one of the greatest sportsmen of all time. I want to congratulate him for one of the most amazing comebacks of the sport ever when he won The Masters this year”, he concluded while praising Woods’ golf supremacy.

Now that the tennis chapter is over, it will be intriguing to see whether Nadal will take up golf as a permanent profession. Do you think he will ace in this role as well if he decides to go pro? Let us know in the comments below.