'It's impossible...' Alex Corretja believes Rafael Nadal will never take up Coaching

Former world No. 2 Alex Corretja firmly believes that the likelihood of Rafael Nadal taking on a coaching role for any player on the tour is almost impossible.

Nadal played the final match of his illustrious career last week at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals in Malaga. The 22-time Grand Slam champion was defeated 6-4, 6-4 by Botic van de Zandschulp during Spain’s surprising 2-1 quarter-final elimination against the Netherlands.

Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, two of Rafael Nadal's most prominent former rivals, made headlines last week by revealing their exciting new player-coach partnership. 

Similarly, like Nadal, Murray retired last year after an illustrious career. The British tennis icon concluded his journey on the singles court by teaming up with Dan Evans for doubles in his final match at the Paris Olympics in August.

Corretja's take on Nadal becoming a coach

In a recent conversation with Eurosport, Corretja discussed the potential for Nadal to transition into a coaching role, similar to Murray. However, he expressed that it may be challenging for Rafael Nadal to pursue coaching in the future. Corretja noted that Nadal may prefer to stay closer to home after retirement, especially with his tennis academy in Manacor requiring his attention. Instead, he envisions Nadal contributing as a consultant in the sport, providing valuable insights and guidance.

“In my opinion, it’s impossible. 99.9% impossible, because you can’t say totally impossible in life. But I would be very, very surprised,” the two-time French Open finalist declared.

“I think he’s going to need time to realise what he really wants to do. I have the impression that even if he has children and is busy at home, Andy has less to do on a daily basis," he said.

“Rafa lives in Manacor and he has his academy. So I don’t see him moving around much. Maybe Andy still wanted to travel, to have this experience. I don’t really see Rafa as a coach or a consultant for anyone. I would see him more as a consultant for something big like Real Madrid, contributing something to the club by giving a few speeches. Iwould see it for a short period of time. Three months or six months. But on a daily basis, I don’t really see it,” he concluded.