"Why not?" - Rafael Nadal on whether he could play Padel in the future

During a recent interaction, Rafael Nadal spoke about the sport of Padel. The Spaniard revealed that despite never having played it, he could pick it up in the future - particularly since there are Padel courts at his academy in Mallorca.

"To be honest, in padel I am neither good nor bad," Nadal told Padel Magazine. "I am not a gamer. It's true that we have a padel court in my academy in Mallorca."

'Padel' or 'Padel tennis' is a racket sport similar to tennis. It is played on a hard surface that is about 25% smaller than a regulation tennis court, and the ball used has slightly less pressure than regular tennis balls.

Rafael Nadal is no stranger to venturing out of tennis and trying his hand at other sports; the 35-year-old is an amateur golfer who has played in several official tournaments. Against that background, Nadal claimed that if he can take up golf, he can also get into Padel some day.

"I don't know what the future will be like," Nadal said. "I will continue with my tennis career. I like sport in general. I play golf. I think I'll grab a padel racket, why not? I am sure that in the future I will have more time to enjoy other sports. Padel is growing and I think it will be fun because it's easier to play."

Rafael Nadal to make tennis comeback at Abu Dhabi next month

Rafael Nadal at the 2021 French Open

Rafael Nadal will be making his return to the tennis court at an exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi next month. The Spaniard ended his 2021 season early due to a chronic foot injury, which kept him out of Wimbledon, the Tokyo Olympics, and the US Open.

But after a small operation for the problem - which he has been dealing with since 2005 - Nadal has already returned to the practice courts. The 35-year-old has his sights set on the 2022 Australian Open, where he will be going for the all-time Slam record.

Rafael Nadal has triumphed in Melbourne once before, back in 2009. In the years since, he has lost in the finals of the 2012, 2014, 2017 and 2019 editions.

Nadal's confirmed participation in Melbourne also implies that he has been vaccinated, as that is reportedly a prerequisite to play the tournament. World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, who is tied with Nadal and Roger Federer at 20 Majors, is yet to confirm his presence at the event or his vaccination status.

If Djokovic ends up skipping the Australian Open, Nadal will be one of the favorites for the title in Melbourne.