Rafael Nadal has confirmed he will return to the tennis court for a one-off exhibition event in Las Vegas next year. The 22-time Grand Slam champion, who retired from professional tennis two years ago, will compete at The MGM Slam inside the T-Mobile Arena on February 28.
Nadal previously faced Carlos Alcaraz in an exhibition match in Las Vegas in 2024 and said he was looking forward to competing there again. The announcement comes after the 40-year-old opened up about living in pain throughout his career.
Career reflections and new projects
Since retiring, the Spanish star has chronicled his career in a Netflix documentary series, Rafa, and is now releasing a new coffee-table book with Assouline. Both have provided insight into the extent of the injuries Nadal faced during his career.
Ahead of the release of his Assouline book, the former world No. 1 told The Athletic: “For me every moment was … I always had not the fear but knew that it could be my last year on tour.”
“The only positive thing I’ve taken from all the injuries was that I was able to enjoy more and put more value on the great moments. But I lived all my tennis career with pain — on a daily basis, I had too much pain,” he added.
Return to the court
Nadal has barely touched a racket in retirement and admitted he has not missed tennis too much. But after two years away from the game, he is ramping things up. The 92-time title winner recently got back on court for the Rafa Nadal Academy Slam, an exhibition event celebrating a decade of his tennis centre in Mallorca, where he and fellow retired ex-rivals contested a series of 10-point doubles tiebreaks and his team won.
In a new video, Nadal said: “I have great memories from 2024, playing in Les Vegas. The atmosphere and the fans were simply amazing. So I am very excited to announce that I will be back in 2027, and I am very looking forward again to compete in the MGM Slam, so see you soon in Vegas.”
Passion for competition remains
Nadal lost to Alcaraz in a match tiebreak last time out, with the younger Spaniard taking it 14-12. Although he is now retired, the 40-year-old said his love for competing had not waned.
“I remember how impressive it was to feel the energy of a full arena in a city like Las Vegas. After that match in 2024, now I return in a different stage of my life, without the pressure of the tour but with the same passion for this sport,” he added. “I have always loved competing, and even if my professional career is finished, that feeling never really goes away.”
