"There were months I cried at home": Rafael Nadal reflects on mental and physical struggles

Rafael Nadal revealed he was nearly took a break from tennis to preserve his mental health. The 22-time Grand Slam champion recently opened up about his struggles with anxiety, revealing he was close to stepping away from tennis during his career.

Nadal, 38, officially retired a couple of weeks ago after playing his final professional match at the Davis Cup Finals. Despite his remarkable achievements that place him among the greatest in history, Nadal's career was marked by persistent injuries, forcing him to miss significant tournaments, especially in its latter stages.

The Spaniard made this candid confession in a recent piece for The Player’s Tribune, where he addressed the mental challenges he faced throughout his time on tour. “Physical pain I was very used to, but there were times on the court when I had trouble controlling my breathing, and I couldn’t play at the highest level. I don’t have trouble saying it now. After all, we are human beings, not superheroes,” Nadal wrote.

“Thankfully, I didn’t get to the point of not being able to control things like anxiety, but there are moments with every player when it’s difficult to control your mind, and when that happens it’s difficult to have total control of your game,” he continued. “There were months when I thought about taking a complete break from tennis to cleanse my mind. In the end, I worked on it every day to get better.”

The 14-time Roland Garros champion also reflected on the humility and respect instilled in him by his father. “I spent many days at home crying, but it was a great lesson in humility, and I was lucky to have a father — the real influence I’ve had in my life — who was always so positive,” said the former World No. 1. “I hope that my legacy is that I always tried to treat others with deep respect. This was the golden rule of my parents.”