Rafael Nadal finds a way to win tournament not named the French Open

Rafael Nadal managed to win a tournament even after losing in the first round of the French Open. Instead of marching toward a ridiculous 15th title at Roland Garros, Nadal immediately left Paris to partake in an event called the Nations Cup and he took home the trophy. You have never heard of the Nations Cup, you say?

You should not worry, dear tennis fan. This is not some pop-up tennis event happening every year at the same time as the French Open that no one has ever heard of. Instead, the Nations Cup is a golf tournament that takes place in Mallorca, the island of Spain where his hometown, Manacor, is.

Nadal has not been quiet about his love of golf throughout his career. His admiration for the sport runs a close second to the sport that has allowed him to live by comfortable means. One might wonder how well he would have done had he only played golf. He won the title at the Nations Cup, but that was not his first time winning a golf tournament.

Rafael Nadal takes time off from tennis to win in another sport

As far as the Spaniard's tennis career, he played well in Paris, but he faced a player in better form in the first round, Alexander Zverev. Zverev was probably the worst matchup Nadal could have drawn. The positive aspect was that Nadal played well enough against the German that he might have beaten most other players on the ATP tour on that day.

The hope is that Nadal will be fit for Wimbledon in early July, and then return to Paris to play the Summer Olympics. Nadal won a gold medal in singles at the 2008 Olympics, and in 2016, he won a gold medal while playing doubles. He is passionate about the games and representing his country. There is a chance he might soon follow his run at the Olympics by retiring.

Though, again, he did play extremely well against Zverev. Possibly he will return to the French Open in 2025. Let's just hope he doesn't draw Zverev again in the first round.

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