Nadal's childhood friend predicts: "He'll need to become a competitor somewhere else".
![Nadal's childhood friend predicts: He'll need to become a competitor somewhere else.](https://cdn.tennistemple.com/images/upload/bank/E845.jpg)
Rafael Nadal is now retired and will be able to enjoy a quieter life, without having to visit a tennis court every day.
After arriving in Mallorca yesterday, he was already talking about a "radical" change in his personal life.
But it's already clear that the former world No. 1 will not be retiring to a more peaceful life.
Nadal is a man who never stops, having last year invested in the hotel business by creating the ZEL brand, which already boasts two establishments in Spain.
There's also his tennis academy, which has several branches around the world to pass on his training methods.
Back in 2013, Nadal's childhood friend Joan Suasi predicted what the Majorcan would do in retirement: "Rafael is happy when he's competing. Whether it's tennis, golf, padel or PlayStation. For him, without competition, there can be no improvement. And without improvement, there can be no pleasure.
When he retires, he may spend a few quiet years, but it won't last.
He'll need to become a competitor somewhere else. He won't be able to stay in his armchair or on the beach all day, that I'm sure of."
Nadal will be spoilt for choice in retirement, with many years ahead of him. Golf, one of his other passions after tennis, could become an activity in which he appears more regularly.