Rafael Nadal has climbed the ATP rankings despite being retired from tennis (Image: GETTY)
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.
It was the final match of his career, with Nadal opting to walk away from professional tennis having struggled to keep himself fit over the last few years.
Despite his inactivity, the 38-year-old has climbed two positions in the latest version of the ATP rankings. He is now ranked 171st in the world, just one place behind British player Dan Evans.
The Spaniard played the final match of his glittering career in November (Image: GETTY)
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Nadal’s presence on the tour has been sorely missed, with many of his fellow players keeping him in their thoughts. Matteo Berrettini had some kind words for the Spaniard after knocking Cameron Norrie out of the earlier this month.
: “It’s never easy. I remember losing against a pretty good lefty here some years ago. We say hi to him and we miss him.”
, meanwhile, recently admitted that he found it hard to accept Nadal’s decision to walk away from the sport.
“It was a privilege for me, sharing the last moments of Rafa’s career,” he told . “Playing Olympics doubles with him, it was a masterclass for me. I tried to learn and enjoy every single second I was alongside him at the Olympic Games.
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“Sharing off the court moments, talking with him about tennis, about life. I tried to take some advice and lessons I could learn from that moment. Obviously the Davis Cup, his last moment on court, it was special.
“It was special for me, it was special for everyone. Someone like Rafa retired from tennis. It was difficult to accept that my idol is not going to play professional matches again. At the same time, I tried to enjoy that moment.”
Before playing his final match at the Davis Cup, but his declining physical condition was essentially forcing him to step away from high-level tennis.
“It doesn’t make sense for me to continue playing when I’m fully aware that my body doesn’t let me fight for the competitive goals that motivate me,” he said.
“I’m not burned out on tennis. If I could, I would keep playing, but it’s impossible for me to train with the continuity necessary to compete at a level that compensates for the efforts of everyday life.”