Approaching the final chapter of his football career, Cristiano Ronaldo may already have another sport firmly in his plans for retirement: padel.
The 41-year-old revealed in an interview with Vogue that the current Saudi Pro League season could be his last as a professional footballer, having already begun thinking about how he will spend his time away from the game.
“This is probably my last year of football,” said Ronaldo, admitting that walking away after more than two decades at the highest level would leave a significant void in his life.
His plans include spending more time with his family and playing padel, a sport in which he has developed a strong interest over the past few years.
Ronaldo recently expanded his presence in Portugal’s racket sports scene by acquiring the Lisboa Racket Centre, pointing towards a potential long-term involvement that could extend well beyond playing recreationally.
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The Al Nassr forward would not be the first sporting superstar to embrace padel, which has attracted significant interest from some of the biggest names across sport.
Rafael Nadal’s academy in Mallorca offers padel programmes and operates an amateur tour, while former AC Milan and Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic co-founded Padel Zenter, which has opened facilities in Sweden and Italy.
Former tennis world number one Andy Murray has also invested in the sport and co-owns a Hexagon Cup team alongside former heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua, while Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero and Robert Lewandowski are among the football stars associated with the competition.
Once largely confined to a handful of markets, padel has rapidly developed into one of the world’s fastest-growing sports, helped by its accessibility and increasing professional presence.
Having already attracted an expanding list of sporting greats, the addition of Ronaldo as a more prominent figure after his football career could give padel another powerful boost in its push towards the global mainstream.
