Table of Contents
- Rafael Nadal has surprised many people with his confession about how he feels after retiring in 2024
- He said that winning 22 Grand Slams made many of his fans assume that he missed the action
- He played tennis for 24 years and gave it the best he could
Legendary tennis star Rafael Nadal has surprised many people with his confession about how he feels after retiring in 2024.
The Spaniard, whose life for over two decades revolved around tennis courts, said that he never misses playing tennis since he retired.
He said that winning 22 Grand Slams made many of his fans assume that he missed the action on clay courts, which he excelled in.
However, he got to a point where he had nothing more to give to the tennis world after 24 years.
Therefore, he said that his life is far from missing tennis because he did his best when he had the opportunity to play across the world.
He spoke on Sunday at Roland Garros in Paris, where he was honoured for winning the tournament 14 times.
Nadal was flanked by his close friend, Roger Federer who retired in 2022. Despite being on-court rivals for a decade, Federer and Nadal remained close friends.
Novak Djokovic also attended the ceremony
Former tennis player Rafael Nadal (second from right) flanked by Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray. Photo/Euronews
Does Rafael Nadal Miss Playing Tennis?
Although he admitted that he no longer misses playing tennis, Rafael Nadal pointed out that his body could no longer allow him to play.
He battled a series of recurring injuries since 2023. The former world No.1 never quit when most people wrote him off due to injuries.
Nadal took time off playing tennis to recover and always made a grand comeback.
However, things are now different because ‘his body can’t give him the adrenaline to be on a tennis court.’
The Spaniard has no regrets, noting that he pushed himself too hard for many years to achieve the best in tennis history.
It was a chapter in his life that he struggled to write and had many highs and lows. Nearly a year after his retirement, he feels at peace.
Admittedly, Rafael Nadal is yet to find something that is as exciting as tennis was, but he has made peace with it all.
He said that playing tennis gave him so much adrenaline that it contributed to the excitement in his life.
While speaking to the press at Roland Garros, Nadal said that he hasn’t touched a tennis racket since his exit in November 2024.
His focus has been on running the Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy in Mallorca, Spain and his other businesses. He is also dedicating much of his time to charitable acts through his foundation.
Rafael Nadal dominated the French Open winning 14 titles. Photo/ Tennis Majors.
Will Nadal Play Tennis Again?
At 38, it’s unlikely that Nadal will return to tennis. His body wouldn’t allow him to play anymore like before.
Nevertheless, he is open to playing in a future exhibition match. That’s the only time he will hold a racket, but not now.
He spends some of his free time playing golf, but it doesn’t make him feel complete because he does it for fun and not competitively.
Rafael Nadal explained that coming from a competitive sport such as tennis always creates a competitive urge that golf doesn’t match up to.
Why Did Nadal Retire?
Recurring injuries pushed Nadal to retirement. He had struggled with good physical form, which made it impossible for him to play at his highest form.
He said that it was a decision that took a lot of time to come to because, for 24 years, playing professional tennis completed his life.
