Rafael Nadal expresses joy at seeing growth of his son during ‘very happy’ time outside of tennis
Rafael Nadal has revealed he was “very happy” during his time away from tennis but admitted the feelings that come with playing the sport are “difficult to find on a daily basis.”
The tennis legend explained he enjoyed seeing the growth of his son, spending time with his family and also visiting places he had not previously been able to see, last year.
Nadal defeated world Dominic Thiem 7-5, 6-1 in the opening round of the 2024 Brisbane International on Tuesday in his first singles match in almost a year.
The 37-year-old Spaniard had not played a singles match since suffering a hip injury in a defeat to Mackenzie McDonald in the second round of the 2023 Australian Open.
In October 2022, Nadal and his wife Mery Perello welcome their first child – a boy they named Rafael Nadal Perello, according to reports.
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In an interview with the ATP Tour, Nadal expressed that he did not expect to be able to return to the tour as early as this month, while reflecting on his life outside of tennis.
“I have been working a lot to be where I am today. So personal satisfaction is quite high. After all the surgery processes that I had, I doubted if I would be able to start this January. But I feel much better today than what I expected one month ago, and for me, already, that’s super positive,” the former world No 1 said.
“It’s been tough, of course. I was not able to do the things that I wanted to do. After all the surgery, it probably had been four months without touching a racquet. I was not able to play tennis. I was not able to enjoy a lot because I went through a lot of pain for a long time.
“But at the same time, I have been able to be at home and enjoy the growth of my son. During the whole year, spend time with the family. To go on vacation for longer periods of time. To know places that I wanted to know, and I was not previously able to do it.
“I have been very happy outside of tennis, and I think I can be very happy outside of tennis. But this adrenaline, these feelings that you have in any sport, are difficult to find on a daily basis.
“For me, it’s about accepting the unpredictable. That’s the thing today. All the doubts that are normal after one year without playing a professional match. But I still have this fire inside to be competitive. Let’s see… I mean, I’m trying my best every day to put myself in a competitive position.”
The 22-time Grand Slam champion is in action against world No 102 Jason Kubler in the second round in Brisbane on Thursday.
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