Rafael Nadal has already been tipped to take on a new role in another sport less than two days after retiring from professional tennis.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion officially called time on his illustrious career as Spain withdrew from the Davis Cup on Tuesday.

Nadal’s uncle and former coach, Toni, has already looked to the future and believes his nephew will take a job at Real Madrid.

Nadal retired as Spain lost their quarter-final to the Netherlands. The 38-year-old suffered a defeat in his last match when Botic van de Zandschulp beat him in straight sets in their first singles match.

Carlos Alcaraz kept Spain in the match and won their own match, but the Dutch team won the deciding doubles match, sending Nadal into retirement shortly after midnight.

Although the former number 1 gave ample notice of the end of his career, announcing his Davis Cup retirement in early October, he remained coy about his post-match plans.

Although it’s a topic he rarely talks about, Nadal has long been touted as the next president of his beloved soccer team, Real Madrid FC. And his uncle Toni added fuel to the fire after his retirement by admitting a job at the club would be perfect.

“I imagine that if he was offered the position of manager of Madrid he would be delighted,” the Mallorcan tennis coach told El Larguero.

He did, however, make an important distinction regarding the possible role of his nephew. Toni continued: “I didn’t say president. I think it’s because he’s a big Real Madrid fan.

“I experienced it with him in New York and Australia, in very important tournaments, getting up and making us get up early in the morning to go see the Madrid match.”

Although Nadal’s uncle could imagine him taking a job at Real Madrid, that’s just speculation.

“He really likes sport, especially football, so I think of course he would like to get involved, but I don’t know. I speak with no more knowledge than my intuition,” he added.

But there’s one thing Toni is sure her nephew will do in retirement. “Now he will be quiet for a while and then he will get involved in the sport, I understand with complete certainty that one way or another he will get more involved in his academies, he will get more involved in the Manacor academy, because he did it for a reason, it’s his passion,” he said.

It remains to be seen whether Nadal will become involved with Real Madrid, but last year he admitted that he would love to succeed Florentino Perez as president of his beloved football club.

“I think I would like to do it. But there are many things. At the moment there is nothing to say because we have the best president possible,” he told Movistar.

But he wondered if he was the right person for the job. To meet the criteria for Real Madrid presidency, one must be of Spanish nationality, have been a member for 20 years and obtain a bank guarantee representing at least 15 percent of the club’s budget.

Nadal added: “What I think today, I might not think tomorrow. There are a lot of twists and turns in life. You have to know if you are qualified to do this kind of thing. I am quite realistic. I know my limits.

“I don’t know if I would be able to do it or not. Time will tell. I didn’t ask (Perez) about it. I think you (the media) are getting carried away. I don’t think I meet the conditions. »