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“I was a sad cripple who thought I had to quit tennis”

The Spaniard referred with brutal honesty to what he lived playing with pain in his left foot. He spoke in depth about the rivalry with Djokovic and Federer, the paternity of him and… Messi.

Rafael Nadal lives with a smile. A brand new father, his personal life is intertwined with his sports life like never before, with surprising validity. Owner of 22 Grand Slams, a record never thought of, the man born in Manacor cannot ask for anything more from tennis. He gave her too much. With his temperament and his class, the Spanish will be an example for several generations. For your resilience and delivery. Beyond the pain Beyond everything.

That is why it is always good to read what Nadal has to say when taking stock of his career. And, above all, when explaining the sufferings through which he went through his physique and from which he overcame not without pain. He spoke about this topic and many more in an interview in the newsroom of the sports newspaper “Brand”.

“I have to thank Mario, my regular anesthetist in Barcelona, ​​and Dr. Ángel Ruiz-Cotorro, who put me in contact with David Abejón, a specialist in the Pain Unit, to start a treatment that has changed me. drastically no longer my career, which in the end is secondary, but my personal life”, stated Rafa.

Now I am much happier, beyond winning or losing on the field, because I was lame. I played tennis with a lot of anti-inflammatories, but I was lame all day. I thought that I had to quit tennis because I had lost my vitality and I was a sad person. most days,” he added with brutal honesty.

When reviewing his 2022 season, he started with his title at the Australian Open. “The first stretch of the season was very exciting, because it came from five very complicated months and the foot was not well. Far from imagining what was going to happen next in Melbourne, with one of the most exciting finals I have ever played, ”he said about the match won in 5 sets against Russian Daniil Medvedev.


The Spanish Rafael Nadal poses with his trophy in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris after winning his 14th Roland Garros. Photo EFE

What to say then about his 14th Roland Garros? “It was unexpected, because a week before he had left Rome lame. That’s the truth,” he admitted. It is clear that if the doctors had not found the solution to put the nerve in my foot to sleep to relieve the pain, I would not have been able to win Roland Garros. The day I needed to play very well, in the quarterfinals against Djokovic, I did it. You also have to be realistic and admit that the semifinal against Zverev was very complicated and anything could have happened, but the poor guy blew his ankle”.

When talking about the balance of the year, Nadal feels complete: “When I look back on this year, the difficult moments and the injuries will go to the background and it will be that I won two Grand Slam titles, so the final balance is fantastic and very exciting, but also very suffered. Thats the reality”.

What would world tennis be without Nadal, Roger Federer y Novak Djokovic? The three left historic battles in the sport. It turns on Rafa in the debate of who is the greatest?

Nadal, with Djokovic and Federer in the Laver Cup.  Photo EFE
Nadal, with Djokovic and Federer in the Laver Cup. Photo EFE

“I understand it and I think it is good for the promotion of our sport, but my way of understanding this debate has not changed over the years. There will be one that will be the best, which I don’t think is easy to define, because everyone has their arguments to defend one player or another. In addition, today two of those three tennis players are still active, ”he explained.

“What matters is that both Federer and Djokovic or I have done much more than we had dreamed of. We have achieved things that have never been done before, so the three of us will go down in tennis history”, he sentenced.

How did you live the rivalries between the three? Nadal replied: “I am Federer’s first great rival. When Novak arrives, it’s true that Federer is still better than me, but in later years I win more than Roger, so I’ve also met Djokovic more times on the court. In other words, I’ve been more of a rival to him than Roger. Between the three of us we have taken a lot away, but I don’t think any of them would have reached 35 years or more being this competitive without the other two. Federer, Djokovic and I have pushed ourselves to the limit, to improve, to always be wanting more”.

Rafael Nadal and…

Lionel Messi

“When he scored the third goal against France, my eyes filled with tears. For someone so great to end his career in this way seemed fair to me and I was emotional. That he lifted the World Cup made me happy.”

The paternity

“It has been a drastic change, but you have to organize yourself to be able to continue leading my professional life in the best possible way. I always thought that all this would come when I retired. The thing is that my career, luckily, lasted much longer than expected. I trusted. So you have to learn to live with this new life stage and try to continue being as competitive as possible”.

Be the most Grand Slam winner

“Of course I would like to be the one who ends up with the most big ones. I am a competitor, but it has never been an obsession nor will it be. I can only give thanks to life for everything it has given me, not only as a tennis player but as a sports fan. I have been able to experience many things that I would never have dreamed of when I was little.”

Retirement

“I do not visualize it because I am not one to try to guess, predict or prepare the future, because things change very quickly. I know that this moment is closer than last year, without a doubt. That is pure logic. But in the end it is a something that when it has to happen, it will happen. I would like it to be on a pitch, yes”.

HS

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