Nearly 5 months without touching a racket, Rafael Nadal admits what he has ‘lost’ in retirement
Rafael Nadal opened up further about his life after retirement from professional tennis, admitting that he hasn’t picked up a racket since and that he has ‘lost’ some ‘competitiveness’ in daily life.
The Spaniard retired at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals in November, losing to Botic Van de Zandschulp 6-4, 6-4 – before Spain went on to lose their tie against the Netherlands.
“What matters to me is knowing that I’ve surpassed myself,” said Nadal, speaking at a talk about sports performance and health at the UAX Rafa Nadal University School in Madrid.
“Winning or losing are circumstances that one cannot control. I’ve lost competitiveness, and that annoys me. I go play golf, and I’m not as focused.
“I don’t understand playing without a goal. I’ve always considered myself a competitor, and fighting, I prefer that over winning easily.
“When you retire, your body takes a break, but I already feel more centred. Retirement hasn’t been bad for me; I’ve handled it well.”
Nadal also admitted that he ‘still hasn’t picked up a racket’ since November.
Perhaps this loss of competitiveness is connected to his upbringing, starting tennis at a very early age in order to achieve the goals which those around him believed he could reach.
“My uncle Toni coached me since I was three years old, and then other key people joined in. I had proper education and preparation for the future,” the Spanish legend recognised.
“A family that always treated me like one of their own, without adding pressure. When these moments of pressure come, it’s the previous preparation that helps you tolerate what’s happening. It’s self-control, knowing how to manage emotions.”
Nadal also remarked upon an often unknown chronic pain that he has suffered with on a day-to-day basis since 2005, and one that he was told would end his career at the age of 19 – Müller-Weiss syndrome.
“There was no way out,” he stated.
“Several doctors told me that I would not play again, and I was 19 years old. In the end, the solution was found to divert the balance [of the foot] with an exaggerated 7-millimetre insole and a special shoe to fit it inside.
“It worked. He fixed his foot, but everything else was ruined. My body was destroyed.”
The former No 1 was also asked by one of the students to name a couple of his most memorable matches.
“It was one of the most difficult matches to manage in my career because of what it meant at that moment,” Nadal stated, picking the legendary 2008 Wimbledon final against Roger Federer.
“It was my third Wimbledon final after losing in 2006 and 2007 to him. I was hurt, and beating him gave me an extra boost of confidence, and allowed me to prove to myself that I could win big tournaments outside of clay courts.”
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The 22-time Grand Slam champion also answered with the 2022 Australian Open final against Daniil Medvedev, where he came back from a two-set deficit: “I thought I was going to lose, but it was very important not to give up. I’ve always been a player with good self-control, I haven’t been a frustrated tennis player on the court, and accepting things allows you to find solutions in the game.
“For that 4%, it was worth fighting. That’s always been my point of view,’ added the Balearic, winner of 92 titles throughout his sporting career.”
