Ninteen years after debuting at the Rome Masters, Rafael Nadal is back at Foro Italico. The ten-time Rome Masters champion trained at Foro Italico on Saturday, starting his preparations for the fifth Masters 1000 event of the season.

Rafa is most likely competing in Rome for the last time, struggling with injuries and contemplating retirement if his physical shape does not improve. Nadal is 69-8 in Rome, lifting ten trophies between 2005 and 2021. The Spaniard’s Foro Italico crown from three years ago remains his 36th and last Masters 1000 title, achieving it over his great rival Novak Djokovic.

Rafa injured his left hip at last year’s Australian Open, embracing the most extended break of his career and returning to action in Brisbane at the beginning of 2024. Nadal played well after missing almost a year, beating Dominic Thiem and Jason Kubler before facing Jordan Thompson in the quarter-final.

 

They battled for almost three and a half hours, and Nadal experienced a massive blow, squandering three match points and feeling the pain around his troubled hip again.

The Spaniard missed the Australian Open and returned home, returning to the practice court in February. However, Rafa struggled with an abdominal injury, not working on his serve and skipping Doha, Indian Wells and Monte Carlo.

A 22-time Major winner returned to action in Barcelona, scoring one win before losing to Alex de Minaur, unprepared to endure two or three sets at a high level. The veteran raised his level in Madrid and earned three wins for the first time since the 2022 US Open.

Nadal served revenge to Alex de Minaur and prevailed over Pedro Cachin to enter the fourth round. Seeking his 100th Masters 1000 quarter-final, Rafa fell to Jiri Lehecka 7-5, 6-4, struggling on the return and ending his campaign after getting broken two times in a row.

Rafael Nadal will compete at the Rome Masters.

After the match, the organizers presented Rafa with a unique trophy, honoring his achievements at the home Masters 1000 event.

Despite an emotional ceremony, Nadal has not rulled out a possibility to play in front of the home fans again in 2025, eager to extend his career if his body shows signs of improvements. Nadal’s tenth Rome Masters title came in 2021, and he could not fight for another trophy a year later, dealing with a foot injury and playing way below his best.