Retired Nadal to play in exhibition matches

Retired Spanish tennis great Rafael Nadal will return to the court in front of a crowd for the first time since retirement in October to celebrate his academy's 10th anniversary. The Rafa Nadal Academy confirmed Wednesday the 40-year-old, who won 22 Grand Slams in a glittering career before retiring in November 2024, will participate in some exhibition matches. Nadal will compete at his academy in his home town Manacor in Mallorca "in a series of exhibition matches together with big names from the sport", said the academy in a statement. The other players will be announced in the coming days, and will be "some of his rivals and friends who have accompanied him throughout his career". A clay court expert, Nadal won the French Open 14 times in a remarkable career which spanned more than 20 years.