Rafael Nadal took to the waters of Lake Como to try out a unique new sport.
Rafael Nadal experimented with a new sport after withdrawing from the US Open, taking to the waters of Lake Como. The senior Spaniard was initially on the entrance list but withdrew after realising he would not be able to perform to his full potential.
Nadal is presently in Italy for the fifth race of the inaugural E1 Series, the world’s first all-electric powerboat series. He is one of several famous boosters, who include Tom Brady, Will Smith, Didier Drogba, and Virat Kohli.
Despite Smith’s late comeback, Nadal won the unique drag race in a powerboat. In an Instagram video, Nadal appeared focused in the cockpit as he skillfully piloted his boat across the finish line.
E1 is the world’s first and only all-electric race boat championship, and it is officially sanctioned by UIM, powerboating’s global regulatory organization. The participants hope to drive long-term change and improve marine mobility through clean technologies.
The series also has an objective to benefit local communities by rebuilding marine habitats along coastal towns’ shorelines.
In a press release, Nadal stated: “As a professional athlete, I am well aware of the positive impact that tiny steps have on performance. It is encouraging to see E1 employ the same competitive attitude and approach to improving performance and efficiency in sustainable marine mobility.
It comes after Nadal revealed that he would be skipping the US Open to rest and recover from a hectic summer season. He advanced to the final of the Swedish Open before competing in the men’s singles and doubles categories at the Olympics, partnering with reigning Wimbledon winner Carlos Alcaraz.
Nadal is widely expected to retire soon, but he recently insisted that he was not in a rush to finalize his intentions.
“I’m not in a hurry to make a decision about my future,” he told me. “What is definite is that I will participate in the Laver Cup, and then we shall see. I can’t spend all day worrying about retirement.
“I come here and you ask me the same thing every day and in the end it’s very difficult to get back to my best form if I think about whether I’m going to retire or not.”