Despite a $220 million net worth, Rafael Nadal says he won’t retire because he hates waking up to no plans—so he’s opened a chain of hotels instead

Rafael Nadal doesn’t want to be your average retiree. For most people, retiring with millions in the bank is the kind of dream that ends with a lifetime of lie-ins and leisure. But not Nadal. 

After over two decades of competing, the Spaniard wrapped up one of the greatest tennis careers in history—22 Grand Slams, a record 14 French Open titles, 209 weeks as world No. 1, and a $220 million net worth—in November 2024. But instead of kicking back, Nadal’s been busy building a hotel empire.

“I am not the kind of guy that likes to wake up in the morning and don’t know what to do,” Nadal told CNBC last week. “My goal was to keep going.”

He said that spending time with his family, including his two young children, is important—then added, “but I like to work.”

“In the same way I built a legacy on the court, now is the moment to build a legacy outside of the court.”

Inside Rafael Nadal’s post-tennis empire: Hotels and a coaching business he part-sold for $107 million 

Nadal just opened his fourth Zel Hotel in Fuerteventura, a beachfront, adults-only property in the Canary Islands. The 40-year-old explained that after spending most of his dazzling 23-year tennis........

© Fortune