Rafael Nadal still enjoyed a taste of glory on US Open finals weekend despite pulling out of the hard-court Grand Slam.
The Spaniard hasn’t played since the Olympics more than a month ago and is next set to be in action at the Laver Cup.
After missing out on the action in Flushing Meadows, he turned his hand to another sport and lifted a trophy.
Nadal is an avid golfer who has entered and won several amateur tournaments. And he was back at it on Saturday, winning another event at the Vall d’Or Golf Club in Mallorca.
The 38-year-old competed in the scratch category of the Robinson Classic and lifted the trophy, coming out on top in a field of 74 men with a Stableford score of 35.
Second-place Gonzalo Ocejo Calvo from Calvia recorded a Stableford score of 34 but had a world handicap of 3,2 and a game handicap of two.
It’s not the first time this year that Nadal has enjoyed success on the golf course while sidelined from tennis. After getting injured during his comeback at the Brisbane International in January, Nadal didn’t appear on a match court until the clay season.
And he used his time off to win the Balearic Mid-Amateur Championship – a tournament he had entered three times in the last four years. There, the former world No. 1 scored a total of 147 over two rounds, shooting just three over par.
But Nadal must now turn his attention back to tennis. He will represent Team Europe at the upcoming Laver Cup. This year’s edition will be staged in Berlin from September 20 to 22. There has been speculation that it could be the final tournament of his career, with John McEnroe sharing his fear that the Spaniard could retire at the team tournament.
But, during a recent interview with El Hormiguero, Nadal shut down retirement chat. “It’s been a long time, I’ve had a lot of physical problems and the question is normal,” he said.
“There comes a time when I can’t live with [the idea of] retirement, because otherwise you don’t finish trying. I’ve given myself some time to enjoy tennis after a year and a half off the court and that’s what I’m doing, enjoying the day to day. In the end, I’m giving myself time and making my decision when I’m clear about it.
