Rafael Nadal returned to the court recently, a year after he retired from tennis.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion retired at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals, as Spain lost to the Netherlands in the quarterfinals.
Choosing to rest up for the first year of his retirement, Nadal barely picked up a racket until recently.
Helping out two players from his academy, Alexandra Eala and Alina Korneeva, Nadal returned to the practice courts.
Asked about the practice sessions, the 39-year-old shared whether he still experiences pain when playing tennis.
Rafael Nadal admits he’s still in pain
During an interview with ‘El Larguero‘, Nadal shared a fitness update with his many fans.
“Since I retired, I’ve only played an hour and a half of tennis. And that was in the last two weeks,” he said.
“I played with two girls from the academy. I felt like a pure sparring partner; I was just there as a sidekick because I was training for them.
“I had a good time; it was nice to pick up a racket, and more fun than the elliptical.
“I’d like to play once a week from now on, so I don’t have to start from scratch if I ever want to play again.
“I’m in pain, obviously, but by taking a lot of breaks, things are easing up.”
Nadal has shown an eagerness to return to tennis for a series of exhibition matches against his former rival, Roger Federer.
Federer’s agent Tony Godsick also seemed up for the idea, as it seems a matter of when, not if, the ‘Fedal’ tour is created.
The pair played their fair share of matches as professionals, but there is still a demand to see two of the greatest players of all time face off.
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Nadal and Federer would have no trouble selling out massive stadiums around the world, no matter their age.
It remains to be seen if Nadal signs up for any exhibitions next year, but for now at least, he seems focused on helping some of the best pupils in his academy.
But who are Eala and Korneeva, the two players Nadal practiced with last month?
Who are Alexandra Eala and Alina Korneeva?
Filipino star Eala made her breakthrough earlier this year at the Miami Open.
Defeating three Grand Slam champions: Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys, and Iga Swiatek, Eala qualified for the semifinals in Florida.
There she fell just short, losing to Jessica Pegula in a three-set thriller.
She continued to improve as the year went on and qualified for her first-tour level final at Eastbourne.
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Losing out to another youngster, Maya Joint, Eala didn’t let her head drop as she headed back to the practice courts.
Finishing her 2025 campaign with a maiden Challenger title in Guadalajara, Eala jumped up to 50th in the world rankings.
Snapshot of the 2025 year-end WTA rankings
| Rank | Name | Country | Points |
| 46 | Laura Siegemund | Germany | 1,214 |
| 47 | Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova | Russia | 1,184 |
| 48 | Katerina Siniakova | Czechia | 1,172 |
| 49 | Emiliana Arango | Colombia | 1,161 |
| 50 | Alexandra Eala | Philippines | 1,140 |
| 51 | Anastasia Potapova | Russia | 1,131 |
| 52 | Maria Sakkari | Greece | 1,116 |
| 53 | Janice Tjen | Indonesia | 1,106 |
| 54 | Cristina Bucsa | Spain | 1,098 |
| 55 | Magda Linette | Poland | 1,089 |
Korneeva, the second player Nadal trained with, is currently ranked 216th in the world.
The Russian teenager won two Grand Slam junior titles, but has yet to show that same level on the professional tour.
Korneeva played a mix of Challenger and WTA Tour events this year, and failed to qualify for any of the three Grand Slams she attended.
It is, however, clear that Korneeva has potential, and it may just take time for her to adjust to the physicality of the WTA Tour.
She’ll no doubt look to put the experience of training with Nadal to good use when she returns to action in 2026.
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