Having retired from the sport almost two years ago, Rafael Nadal is enjoying being a family man. The 22-time Major champion was recently spotted with his wife and two children on a yacht on the Mediterranean Sea in Ibiza. However, among all the clicks, a beautiful moment between the Mallorcan and his 4-year-old son, Rafa Jr, caught everyone’s eyes.

Nadal and his son were seen wearing matching blue printed bath shorts, with the former World No.1 teaching his son about the basics of diving and swimming. The Spaniard is known for his love for sailing on boats and has often been spotted on yachts even during his playing days.

One could argue that, having retired, Nadal’s life is full of breaks. But the Mallorcan has several professional and business commitments that he has, which still keep his life busy enough to want the occasional escapades out to sea.

Nadal has been involved in developing his Rafa Nadal Academy in Manacor, ensuring that the flagship organization runs smoothly alongside tennis centres in Mexico and Greece. He also runs the Rafael Nadal Foundation with his wife, Mery Perello, and his mother, Anna Maria. The Spaniard also has a venture in the hospitality field, starting a hotel brand called ZEL, which is centred around Mediterranean living.

Nadal still remains busy with his daily activities, but not so much so when the Mallorcan was on the ATP Tour. This is not the first time Nadal has come out to sea with his family; he took a family vacation to the Bahamas earlier this year. The Spaniard loves traveling with his whole family and went on a multi-day tour of Japan last year, where his parents and extended family accompanied him, along with his wife and children.

However, seaside vacations with his family are not a new tradition for Nadal, as the Spaniard had such short breaks even while being on the Tour.

Rafael Nadal Has Always Been a Fan of Family Vacations on the Boat

Being on a boat with his family has always been the ideal vacation for Rafael Nadal, even during his playing days. The Spaniard was known to take sailing trips to Ibiza after grueling Roland Garros campaigns so that he was refreshed to tackle the grass-court season. The Mallorcan had previously defended his younger compatriot, Carlos Alcaraz, who was criticized by the media recently for such short trips. Nadal discussed the importance of taking downtime from the hectic Tour and said he, too, had a similar approach.

The Spaniard is known for his collection of luxury yachts, with his latest purchase being a Sunreef 80 Power Catamaran in 2020. The former World No.1 named it “The Great White”, and he and his family were often spotted sailing in the same, after the Spaniard had finished his US Open stints in New York during the latter part of his career. Back in 2016, the Spaniard had also bought another yacht, which he named Beethoven (a Monte-Carlo 76 yacht), after which he opened up about his love for sailing and spending quality time with his family, and his future wife, who was his girlfriend back then.

“I love to be with my friends, I love to be with my family, and I love to be with my girlfriend when I have the chance”, said Nadal in a 2017 interview. “Those are the people I am normally with on my boat”.

Nadal‘s other favorite downtime activities during his career included golf, which he continues in retirement, and being an avid football fan, as the former World No.1 was often spotted at Real Madrid games during and after his playing days.