Rafael Nadal has not played a match in over two months after retiring from tennis, but the Spaniard has still managed to climb the ATP rankings in that time

Rafael Nadal jumping up the ATP tennis rankings seems like nothing new – until you remember that he’s retired. The Spanish sporting icon has rather bizarrely moved up three places to 173rd

At 38, Rafa Nadal has officially called time on his legendary career, marking the end of an era in tennis. On October 10, 2024, Nadal announced his retirement in an emotional video, citing ongoing physical limitations and challenges over the past two years.

In a surprising turn of events, legendary Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal has moved up two spots in the ATP Rankings. This is despite the fact that he retired from the sport professionally over two months ago. The 38-year-old is now the 171st-ranked ATP player, just behind British star Dan Evans.

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The last time Rafael Nadal was on the court was in November, during Spain's Davis Cup match against the Netherlands

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Rafa hoped to help Spain get to the bottom of the Davis Cup Finals, but the run of the home idols ended already against the Netherlands in the quarterfinals.

Rafael Nadal has climbed the ATP world rankings despite not playing a match in over two months following his retirement from tennis. The 'king of clay' took to the court for the final time in November, losing to Botic van de Zandschulp as Spain were beaten by the Netherlands in the Davis Cup.