"On a daily basis, I had too much pain": Rafael Nadal opens up on physical turmoil that ended career
ATP
It's been almost two years since Rafael Nadal decided to walk away from tennis at the Davis Cup Finals and the 22-time Grand Slam champion said he was living with pain constantly on a daily basis that mean now he thinks very little of the sport that made his life.
Nadal was injury prone often in his career compared to his contemporaries, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic after being diagnosed with Muller-Weiss syndrome very early in his career. A degenerative bone disorder in his left foot. He also faced wrist, rib and hip injuries throughout his career.
Since ending his career, he has followed the lead more of his rivals including Roger Federer and Andy Murray who both ended their careers mainly due to constant injuries of barely playing or being that involved in the sport. Federer and Murray have had forays, the latter into coaching but otherwise they hold quite private lives and haven't delved into even the thought of returning.
The former World No.1 did play at the Rafa Nadal Academy Slam celebrating 10 years of the centre, but he now forgets he was even a tennis player putting that side of his life out to pasture. He was speaking recently for a new coffee table book from Assouline featuring never-before-seen photos of his life on and off the court. But
“I retired only two years ago, but it’s already like another life that I was playing tennis,” Nadal told The Athletic. “I almost forget that I was a tennis player. Life keeps going.”
He added that while he was able to put value on the great moments as a result of his career, it also led to a lot of pain all the way through chief to that and that he lived with it every single day throughout. “For me every moment was … I always had not the fear but knew that it could be my last year on tour.
“The only positive thing I’ve taken from all the injuries was that I was able to enjoy more and put more value on the great moments. But I lived all my tennis career with pain — on a daily basis, I had too much pain.”
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He did preface though that he did love tennis so any thought to the contrary in reality is quite short sighted, but that he chosed the right moment to retire as his body just wasn't in it anymore. “I loved playing tennis. But I’m not missing much because I decided to retire at completely the right moment. I had nothing else to give,”
“My body was over, to be honest. I played with too many limitations, so that’s it. That allowed me to finish in peace. There are plenty of things that are more important than tennis or sport. But the adrenaline and this special feeling that sport brings to you, it’s something difficult to find outside.”
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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