Rafael Nadal rises in ATP rankings despite retiring from tennis two months back | Tennis News

Rafael Nadal moved two places up in the ATP rankings after an updated list was released on Monday following the end of the 2025 Australian Open, despite having retired from professional tennis.

The last time Nadal was on the court was in November, during Spain’s Davis Cup match against the Netherlands. Nadal had featured in the first singles tie, where he lost in straight sets against Botic van de Zandschulp. It was the final match of his professional career as Nadal decided to draw curtains on his illustrious career after a long struggle with injuries.

Despite not having played a single match thereafter, Nadal climbed two spots up in the rankings chart to take the 171st place, just one behind British player Dan Evans.

While Nadal admitted that he did not want to retire, he revealed that his declining fitness conditions forced him to hang his racquet.

“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 ahead of his final match in November.

“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.”

Meanwhile, Jannik Sinner, who lifted the Australian Open title for the second consecutive time, remained at No. 1. He became the first Italian player to win three Grand lam titles after he beat Alexander Zverev in straight sets in the final. Carlos Alcaraz, who lost in the quarterfinals, stayed at No. 3, as did Taylor Fritz at No. 4, while Daniil Medvedev slipped two places to No. 7 after a shocking second-round exit at Melbourne.

Novak Djokovic, who retired with a hamstring injury during the Australian Open semifinals, rose one spot to No. 6, behind Casper Ruud.