Rafael Nadal tries his hands at a new water sport, pics go viral

Rafael Nadal, the 22-time Grand Slam winner, demonstrated his versatility by trying out a new sport on the waters of Lake Como after withdrawing from the 2024 US Open. He initially appeared on the entry list but later withdrew, since he felt that he wouldn't be able to perform at his best.

The Spaniard is currently in Italy for the world’s first all-electric powerboat series, called the E1 series, where he is joined by other celebrities such as Tom Brady, Will Smith, Didier Drogba, and Virat Kohli.

The inaugural E1 series comes with its own set of objectives, one of them being helping the local communities to restore the Marine ecosystem of coastal towns.

Nadal participated in a powerboat drag race with Smith and emerged victorious, despite the actor's late comeback. A determined Nadal guided his boat to a stylish victory, as seen in a video posted to Instagram.

Nadal on E1 Series

Nadal stated in a Press Release, "As a professional athlete, I am acutely aware of the positive effect that smaller steps have on improving performance. To see E1 apply this same competitive spirit and approach to optimise performance and efficiency in sustainable marine mobility is good news for our oceans." 

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Following a tiring summer period, Nadal announced his decision to skip the US Open to rest and recuperate. His recent engagements include reaching the final of the Swedish Open and participating in the men's singles and men's doubles events at the Olympics, where he teamed up with reigning Olympics champion Carlos Alcaraz. Nadal, a former Olympic Champion in his rights, is expected to put down his racket soon. However, the Spaniard insisted that he has no intentions of rushing his retirement plans.

Nadal added, "I'm not in a hurry to make a decision about my future, What is certain is that I will be in the Laver Cup and then we will see. I can’t spend all day thinking about that, I came here and you ask me the same thing every day and in the end, it’s very difficult to get back to my best form if I think about whether I’m going to retire or not."

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