Rafael Nadal sparks social media frenzy with comical post as he makes an announcement
Tennis legend Rafael Nadal has had some fun with his followers on social media as he posted a post-operation image after he received treatment on his hand.
Nadal called time on his career a little over a year ago, as he was forced to admit defeat in his battle with a succession of injury problems.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion did not go into details on the fine details of his injury prior to his retirement at the Davis Cup Finals, but it has now been revealed that he has had surgery on his hand.
“Rafa Nadal underwent a surgical procedure yesterday at the Teknon Medical Center in Barcelona, where surgery was performed on his right hand due to severe osteoarthritis of the trapeziometacarpal joint,” read a statement from the player’s agent.
“The procedure, carried out under the supervision of Angel Ruiz-Cotorro, Rafa Nadal’s physician, together with Dr. Vilaro, and performed by Dr. Alex Lluch, consisted of an arthroplasty aimed at relieving pain and restoring mobility of the joint.”
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The tennis great had some fun with his followers on social media, as he suggested the operation would rule him out of the upcoming Australian Open, even though he was never in the mix to play in Melbourne next month.
“Looks like I won’t be able to play the AustralianOpen 2026,” said an ironic Nadal. “I had to undergo hand surgery because of an issue I’d been dealing with for a long time, but I hope to be fine soon!”
Nadal has stepped back from public appearance since his high profile retirement party at the French Open last summer, which was one of the highlights of the tennis year.
His great rivals Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray were in attendance at Roland Garros for his emotional farewell, as Nadal reflected on his remarkable career that included 14 titles at the Paris Grand Slam tournament.
At a press conference in Paris in June, he spoke about his desire to return to the court at some point, when his physical problems allowed him to compete again in a non-competitive environment.
“I will be back at some point, because at some point I will prepare myself to play an exhibition or something like this,” said Nadal.
“Even if I had a lot of opportunities to made that, I need to give myself a time of disconnection, you know, because at the end, play exhibitions is not only go there and play the match, it’s about all the preparation that requires that. When you play an exhibition you want to show a good level of tennis for the fans and for everybody who organize.
“My daily routine is no routine. I have no routine today. I am just learning about the next business chapter of my life that I have. I have projects like my academy, the hotel company, the supplements company that I did with Cantabria Labs. I take care of my foundation too, and I take care of my family. I am discovering what really motivates me for this new life. So it’s not easy in terms of choosing your next goal.
“But for me, it’s so important to have goals in this life, because a life without objectives is more difficult from my point of view. So I am discovering what really excite me and motivates me to keep going. And that’s all.
“I am having fun. I don’t miss much tennis, because I feel that I gived all what I had. I arrive at the day of today with the peace that I can’t be on court. You know, my body don’t allow me to be on court. So that’s all. I am in peace.
“I did all what I could to have the best career possible, and now I am enjoying this new phase of my life, that I am sure going to be less exciting than the tennis career, because the adrenalin that the sports gives to you, I think it’s impossible to find in other things in life.
“That don’t mean I gonna be less happy. I can be happier with less adrenaline and taking care of different things.”
