Rafael Nadal says if he likes the no cell phone rule at Augusta National

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Rafael Nadal has been spending plenty of his time on golf since his retirement from tennis, with his latest endeavour taking him to Augusta National.

Nadal retired from tennis at the end of 2024 with 22 men’s Grand Slam titles to his name, second only to the 24 of Novak Djokovic.

He has kept close tabs on the sport he has made a career out of, recently overseeing the training of women’s star Iga Swiatek at his academy.

But Nadal has also been sharpening his golf skills, which don’t exactly need much improvement given that he is a +0.5 handicapper.

Nadal has shot 80 at Augusta National, with the sporting legend now sharing his take on the iconic venue amid his trip to The Masters.

Rafael Nadal loves ‘brilliant’ no cell phone rule at Augusta National

Nadal told SportsCenter: “I was lucky enough to be here in the club before and played this amazing golf course.

“The atmosphere is huge. It’s difficult to compare to something else.

“I think the fact that nobody can have the cell phone, it’s a brilliant idea, brilliant rule from my point of view.

“Because everybody’s just focused on what the eyes can see. And I don’t know, this place is magical.

“For a sports fan and for both a golf fan like me, I followed this tournament since I was a small kid, you remember all these dramatic moments, emotional moments, and today I had the chance to be here and to see it for real.

“Yeah, it’s a dream come true to be honest.”

There is indeed a strict prohibition on electronic devices at Augusta, which includes cell phones, laptops and tablets.

Drones, radios, flags, banners and signs are also among the prohibited items list at the prestigious venue.

Photo by Cristian Trujillo/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images

Rafael Nadal compares his golf swing to a tennis backhand

Despite his superb ability, Nadal is still working on his golf swing, which reminds him of a backhand shot in tennis.

He explained: “I never took a lesson on my golf swing.

“I think I play like a backhand of tennis.

“But I mean, yeah, I have a lot of issues… I cannot bring my shoulder higher, I need to open my stance because of my foot.

“So I have a lot of body issues that don’t allow me to do the things a little bit better.”

Nadal is far from the only tennis icon to enjoy a love of golf, with his fellow legend Andy Murray also focusing heavily on the sport since his retirement in the summer of 2024.

Current men’s stars Carlos Alcaraz and Casper Ruud are also avid golfers, but still have a long way to go in their fine careers on the tennis court before prioritizing the golf course.

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