Rafael Nadal has been linked to coaching roles since he stepped away from the court as a player.
Nadal retired from tennis in 2024, playing the final match of his decorated career at the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga.
Since his farewell from the sport, there has been a lot of speculation about what the Spaniard could do next, with Nadal even linked with coaching Carlos Alcaraz following his split from Juan Carlos Ferrero.
Someone who knows Nadal very well is his former doubles partner Marc Lopez, who has now given his take on what could be in store for the future of the 22-time Grand Slam champion.
Marc Lopez makes prediction about what Rafael Nadal coaching role
“We still talk a lot,” Lopez told CLAY and RG Media when asked about his relationship with Nadal after his retirement.
“Beyond being former teammates, we’re very good friends. We don’t see each other often because he’s traveling for his business projects and spending a lot of time in Mallorca. We don’t see each other as much as before, but we stay in touch. He’s really happy in this new stage of his life.”
Lopez and Nadal won five doubles titles together as a pair, including two Masters 1000 tournaments and a gold medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
While they no longer get to spend so much time together on the ATP Tour, Lopez, who also coached Nadal in the latter stages of his career, has declared that he still has a good relationship with the former world number one.
When asked about Nadal’s future in the sport, Lopez ruled out the possibility of him becoming a full time coach, but suggested that he could see him as Spain’s Davis Cup captain.
“I don’t really see him as a full-time tennis coach, to be honest, mainly because of all the travel,” said Lopez, who coached Jasmine Paolini for a short period last year. “But as a Davis Cup captain, absolutely — I can definitely picture him there.
“It would be incredible for the players to have him as captain — to have him courtside, sharing practices, would be an amazing experience for any of them. But traveling, even if it’s just 15 weeks a year, I don’t see it. He’s a very family-oriented person, and after so many years on the road, he has two kids now. I’d love to see him in the captain’s chair or in the box coaching someone, but honestly, it’s hard for me to picture it.”
Both of these comments from Lopez echo previous remarks from Nadal himself, who could now potentially have his eyes on taking over from David Ferrer’s role as Spain’s Davis Cup captain.
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Marc Lopez says if he thinks Novak Djokovic made Rafael Nadal better
For much of the career of Nadal he was competing against the likes of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as part of the big three.
While it is a debate that will continue on, Djokovic was able to overtake both Nadal and Federer to become the player with the most major titles.
In this same interview, Lopez was asked if he thinks Djokovic helped make Nadal a better tennis player.
While he did not deny this, Lopez claimed that they all made one another better and it was not just one-sided.
“I think they all made each other better,” answered Lopez. “Rafa made Djokovic better, Rafa made Federer better, and Federer made both of them better. They had a rivalry that was so good, so intense.
“Everyone wants to be the best in history, and I think that competition among them is what pushed them to win so many Grand Slams. When you know that if you don’t win, the other will — or when you’re playing each other directly and you know the stakes — that drives you to become stronger. Those three made each other great.”
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Djokovic has previously spoken about Nadal and Federer helping him, and the struggles he has faced in being as motivated since they both retired from the sport.
The 38-year-old is the only member of the big three still competing, with Djokovic playing at the Australian Open this year in his continued bid for a 25th Grand Slam title.
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