Andy Murray suffers 10-0 doubles defeat to Rafael Nadal on return

Andy Murray suffered an emphatic 10-0 doubles defeat to Rafael Nadal on his return to the tennis court. The British icon, 39, made a brief comeback at the weekend after retiring in August 2024.

Three-time major winner Murray stepped away from the sport just a few months before Nadal hung up his racket. The two-time Wimbledon champion previously formed part of the Big Four alongside Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. Nadal claimed an extraordinary 22 Grand Slams during his illustrious career, including a staggering 14 victories at the French Open.

Exhibition event at Rafa Nadal Academy

The Spanish ace has enjoyed a more relaxed life since leaving tennis but recently returned to action at the Rafa Nadal Academy Slam. The exhibition showcased several retired stars as Team Murray took on Team Rafa, with one doubles match finishing in a whitewash.

Team Rafa featured Carlos Moya, David Ferrer and Richard Gasquet, while Murray called upon Marat Safin, Dominic Thiem and Fabio Fognini. Nadal's team secured a narrow 4-3 triumph overall, yet the Spaniard's pairing with Gasquet delivered a striking 10-0 victory over Murray and Safin.

Nadal's playful taunt and Murray's wins

Following the event, Nadal playfully taunted his former rival by referencing Murray's enthusiasm for golf in retirement. He joked: "Perhaps next time we can hold a golf event, so you'll have a chance. I know you're practising a lot, quite a bit more than I am, so perhaps the next Nadal Academy Slam can be golf."

Despite the lopsided scoreline, Murray did claim victories alongside Thiem and Fognini in two separate matches against Nadal, who teamed up with Ferrer and Moya, respectively. His triumph with Fognini enabled Team Murray to draw level at 3-3 overall before the same pairing fell to a 7-5 decider against Nadal and Moya.

Players reflect on the event

Explaining his decision to compete in doubles matches during his most notable return to tennis, Nadal told Movistar+: "Doubles is more dynamic and more fun. This way, nobody had to prepare in any special way. It's a format everyone can play without any specific preparation."

The event marked the 10th anniversary of the Rafa Nadal Academy, with over 2,000 supporters in attendance, keen to witness their retired heroes back on court. "To have come this far and built this place from scratch is a source of great satisfaction for us," Nadal said of his academy. "An enormous amount of work from so many people has gone into it. To be able to celebrate the 10th anniversary and be fortunate enough to have all these great champions from the history of our sport with us is, I think, very special."

Expressing his gratitude, Murray said: "Thank you all for the atmosphere today, and thank you, Rafa, for inviting me. You have an incredible place here, all the children are incredibly fortunate to train somewhere like this."