Rafael Nadal has climbed the ATP rankings despite not playing since November.
Rafael Nadal has risen in the ATP world rankings despite not playing a match in over two months after retiring from tennis.
The ‘king of clay’ appeared on the court for the final time in November, losing to Botic van de Zandschulp as Spain was defeated by the Netherlands in the Davis Cup.
It was Nadal’s final match, as he decided to retire from professional tennis after struggling to stay fit in recent years.
Despite his idleness, the 38-year-old has moved up two spots in the latest ATP rankings. He is now ranked 171st in the world, only one spot below British player Dan Evans.
Nadal’s presence on the tour has been dearly missed, with many of his peers remembering him. Matteo Berrettini praised the Spaniard after beating Cameron Norrie out of the Australian Open earlier this month.
In his post-match interview, the Italian said: “It’s never easy. I remember losing against a pretty good lefty here some years ago. We say hi to him and we miss him.”
Carlos Alcaraz, meanwhile, recently admitted that he found it hard to accept Nadal’s decision to walk away from the sport.
“It was a privilege for me, sharing the last moments of Rafa’s career,” he told ESPN. “Playing Olympics doubles with him, it was a masterclass for me. I tried to learn and enjoy every single second I was alongside him at the Olympic Games.
“Sharing off the court moments, talking with him about tennis, about life. I tried to take some advice and lessons I could learn from that moment. Obviously the Davis Cup, his last moment on court, it was special.
“It was special for me, it was special for everyone. Someone like Rafa retired from tennis. It was difficult to accept that my idol is not going to play professional matches again. At the same time, I tried to enjoy that moment.”
Before playing his final match at the Davis Cup, Nadal explained that the did not want to retire but his declining physical condition was essentially forcing him to step away from high-level tennis.
“It doesn’t make sense for me to continue playing when I’m fully aware that my body doesn’t let me fight for the competitive goals that motivate me,” he said.
“I’m not burned out on tennis. If I could, I would keep playing, but it’s impossible for me to train with the continuity necessary to compete at a level that compensates for the efforts of everyday life.”
