Rafael Nadal, who retired from professional tennis a year ago, recently returned to the court to practice with Filipino tennis sensation Alexandra Eala at the Rafa Nadal Academy. The Filipina joined the Academy in Manacor in 2018 and trained there for six years before graduating in 2023.
Nadal, who turned professional in 2001, retired from the sport in November 2024 after representing Spain in the Davis Cup Finals.
Rafael Nadal Practices With Alexandra Eala at His Academy
During his career, Nadal won 22 singles Grand Slam titles, including a staggering 14 titles at the French Open, four at the US Open, and two each at the Australian Open and Wimbledon. He was also ranked world No. 1 in singles in the ATP rankings and won two Olympic gold medals for Spain, among numerous other accolades.
Recently, Nadal took to social media to share a video of himself and Eala practicing at the Rafa Nadal Academy. He expressed that he felt “great” to be back on the tennis court and also stated that it was “great” to practice with Eala. He also promised to return “stronger” the next time they practice together.
“One year later, it felt great to be back on a tennis court. It was great to practice with you @alex.eala! Next time I will be stronger 😉,” Nadal captioned his Instagram post.
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This year, Eala made a name for herself on the WTA scene by reaching the semifinals at the 2025 Miami Open. On her way to the final four, she triumphed over Katie Voleynets, Grand Slam champions Jeļena Ostapenko, Madison Keys, and Iga Świątek before being defeated by eventual runner-up Jessica Pegula.
Alexandra Eala Reflects on Her 2025 Season
Earlier this year, in an exclusive interview with Olympics.com, Eala reflected on her 2025 season and expressed that she is “very happy” with the work she and her team have done this year.
“I’m very happy with how I’ve done, I’m very happy with the work and the guidance that my team have given me. I think I have a lot of belief in myself and the thing is, it’s all very new to me you know,” Eala said.
The Filipina mentioned that she has proven to herself her ability to defeat top players. She also stated that she recognizes that she needs to continue improving to achieve consistent results on the court.
“I think I’ve proven myself to be capable of beating some top players. But then again, it’s not always going to be like that. So it’s more about for me, just focusing on how I can manage myself and how I can manage my level of tennis more than what do I expect results wise,” she added.
This year, Eala won one title, the 2025 Guadalajara 125 Open, where she defeated Panna Udvardy in the final. She also finished as the runner-up at the Eastbourne Open and reached the semifinals at the Canberra Tennis International and the Jingshan Tennis Open, in addition to her performance at the Miami Open.
