Rafael Nadal has traded clay for chairlifts.
The Spaniard surprised fans on Instagram after posting photos from a recent mountain trip, admitting he had skied for the first time in 26 years, and the reaction from colleagues and fans was predictably warm and amused.
Nadal Trades The Court For The Mountain
Sharing the moment with followers, Nadal wrote, “After 26 years… what an incredible feeling to ski again!” The line reads like a welcome note from someone swapping a tightly managed tour calendar for a less strict post-retirement itinerary, and fans lapped it up.
For much of his career Nadal had to plan everything around recovery and preventing re-injury, which meant high-risk hobbies were shelved. The Tour’s daily grind teaches restraint, and Nadal’s choice to protect his body for competition was a constant, necessary calculation.
Now in retirement he has room to rediscover activities that were off limits for decades, from more golf rounds to family time, and now a leisurely turn down a slope. There is a visible joy in watching an athlete enjoy time on their own terms.
The toll of years on court is not abstract for Nadal; his battle with Mueller-Weiss syndrome and the need to manage chronic pain meant avoiding anything that could derail his season. Those sacrifices help explain why a simple ski run felt like a milestone.
The contrast is striking with moments like February 2014 when Nadal captured ATP Tour titles in Doha and Rio de Janeiro, thriving in heat and the intensity of competition. The 39-year-old’s recent snow photos could not be further from that furnace of match play.
Nadal is the latest star to be photographed on the slopes after peers like Andy Murray went skiing with family in 2025 prior to his coaching stint with Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open, proving retired or not, tennis people love the mountains.
A Friendly Invite From Lindsey Vonn
Olympic gold medallist Lindsey Vonn was quick to reply to Nadal’s Instagram post, offering an upbeat and personal reaction from someone who lives where tennis and skiing sometimes overlap in the public imagination.
We have to ski together when I’m healthy!
Lindsey Vonn
Vonn also added a comment in Spanish about the region Nadal chose, writing, “Yes! I love Baqueira!” The American remains active in the skiing world despite recent surgery and a crash at the Milan Cortina Games, which she referenced when promising a future meet-up.
The exchange is part of a wider crossover between skiing and tennis personalities, with Vonn previously praising players such as Jannik Sinner, and even drawing stylistic comparisons that keep the two sports talking to each other’s fans.
Sinner in particular is often cited as tennis’s link to winter sport culture; early in his life he nearly pursued professional ski racing before opting for tennis, a decision that changed the course of both his athletic future and the sport’s crossover stories.
That link is reinforced by equipment ties, too, as Sinner’s partner brand Head makes both rackets and skis, creating a neat business and marketing bridge between alpine pursuits and baseline battles on tour.
From Titles To Time Off
Nadal retired at the end of 2024 with a record that speaks for itself: a haul that included 22 Grand Slam titles and a career total of 92 ATP trophies, numbers that underscore why he carefully guarded his body during his playing days.
His relationship with Roland Garros is especially singular, boasting 14 titles in Paris and a flawless record in those finals, a streak that looms large when anyone summarizes his career and explains the caution that shaped his off-court choices.
Social media reactions mixed gratitude and gentle teasing, as followers enjoyed seeing Nadal relax and try something new. The posts feel like another chapter in a post-retirement life where exploration is allowed, and fans get the bonus of celebrity travel photos.
Whether Nadal becomes a regular on the slopes or this was a one-off joy ride is irrelevant to most viewers. The broader storyline is clear: a legend who sacrificed much for greatness now has the freedom to enjoy small adventures and to accept invitations from fellow champions.
My Tennis Expert believes fans will keep following these softer stories with the same appetite that once followed five-set epics, because seeing champions be human and happy is a rare kind of entertainment worth savoring.
Join the conversation on Facebook.
Christoph Friedrich is a German tennis player and coach currently residing in Oakland, California. He began his tennis journey at the age of eight and has since dedicated his life to the sport. After working as a tennis coach and hitting partner in New York City for eight years, Christoph decided to share his knowledge and experience with tennis players around the world by creating the My Tennis Expert blog. His goal is to make tennis education accessible to everyone and help players select the best equipment for their game, from racquets and strings to shoes and overgrips. Christoph's extensive research and expertise in tennis technology make him a valuable resource for players of all levels.
