Rafa Nadal – centre – enjoying a festive Christmas dip with his family in Mallorca. | Instagram/ @rafaelnadal

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The favourable weather conditions in Mallorca during this festive season have allowed Rafa Nadal to enjoy a family day out and even brave the chilly waters for a swim in the sea. The winner of 22 Grand Slam titles shared several photos of this special day on social media, where he is seen with his wife, Maria Francisca Perelló, and their young son, Rafael, alongside his parents, sister, uncles, and cousins.

Time to be with family,” was the caption Rafa Nadal posted along with four photos of a sunny day where the calm sea allowed him to pose, laughing, with some of his cousins before taking a festive Christmas dip in the crystal-clear waters that Mallorca’s coastline is known for.

After putting down his racket following his participation in the Davis Cup finals, Rafa is embracing a new phase in his life, with more time to spend with his loved ones. Around this time of year, it was common for the Manacor-born star to take part in the exhibition held in Abu Dhabi, featuring some of the world’s best players, as part of his usual pre-season schedule before heading to Australia to compete in the first Grand Slam of the season.

Nadal is currently enjoying his time on the island after travelling to Saudi Arabia, where he took part in an awards ceremony and a series of activities organised by the country's tennis federation. The Mallorcan is a tennis ambassador in Saudi Arabia, where he hinted at the possibility of becoming a coach in the future, although he emphasised it is still too early to make any commitments. "Right now, I don’t see myself involved in a project like that, but I don’t know what my life will look like in one, two, or three years," he said.

During his third visit to the Asian country, the former tennis player from Mallorca shared, "This time, I was able to visit the historic district of Jeddah. I try to gather as much information as possible, to truly understand the perspectives of people who live here, including those who aren’t originally from Saudi Arabia. It’s important to comprehend how life is here for people from different parts of the world."

Regarding the country's opening to the world through sport, Nadal explained, "Having all these major events here encourages the younger population to engage in and practice sports, and that’s fantastic news. A sporting community is a healthy community, and I believe the country is moving in that direction."