Rafael Nadal ended his career a few weeks ago, giving his best on the court until the last match. The former world No. 1 was defeated by Botic van de Zandschulp in his last singles as a professional tennis player, but he once again showed all his enormous dedication to the sport.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion did not achieve the results he would have liked in his last dance and thought about continuing to play in 2025, but he realized that there was no solution to return competitive at the highest level.

At almost 38 years old, the Spanish legend has decided to start the second chapter of his life in which he will devote himself to his beautiful family, his Academy and his Foundation. The 14-time French Open champion has always been an example both on and off the court, often pushing his limits and demonstrating what it means to never give up.

An important lesson

Nadal has been helped by his uncle Toni for most of his career, a support that has helped him tremendously during his growth as a man and as a tennis player. Toni gave up the role of coach in the last years of Rafa’s career, preferring to devote his time to the Academy in Manacor and giving way to Carlos Moya.

During an interview after his retirement, the Spaniard revealed a lesson he learned from his uncle: “One day, I went out fishing when I could have been practicing. The next day, I lost my match. I was crying in the car on the way back home, and my uncle, who at that young age had a big influence on me, and who was the one who made me fall in love with tennis, he said: “It’s OK, it’s just a tennis match. Don’t cry now, there is no point. If you want to fish, you can fish. No problem. But you will lose. If you want to win? If you want to win, then you have to do what you have to do first.”

The 22-time Grand Slam champion continued: “It was a very important lesson for me. If people see me as a perfectionist, then it comes from that inner voice that was calling to me on the car ride home. The voice has never left me. One day, I can be at the sea. Today, and tomorrow … I have to practice.”

Rafa translated his uncle’s teachings on the tennis court for about 20 years, becoming one of the best athletes of all time. The 14-time French Open champion has set some absurd records on red clay, transforming himself into a versatile player capable of winning on all surfaces.

No one knows exactly what Nadal will do in the coming years, but it seems unlikely that he will become a coach like his former rival Andy Murray (who will follow Novak Djokovic in Australia). The former world number 1 is not willing to travel much and perhaps he will give advice to the young players of his Academy in Manacor.

Rafa’s secret

The former world No. 1 has never broken a racket during his career and has shown that he always has total control of his nerves. Thanks to the teachings of his uncle Toni, Nadal learned how to manage frustration and this ability allowed him to win many matches in which he found himself very close to defeat.

In a long conversation with ‘The Players Tribune’, the Spanish legend explained some new details about his attitude: “For 30 years, the image that I was transmitting to the world was not always what I was feeling inside.

Honestly, I have been nervous before every match I have ever played — it never leaves you.

For most of my career, I was good at controlling these emotions. With one exception.

I went through a very difficult moment, mentally, a few years ago. 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.

In the end, I worked on it every day to get better. I conquered it by always moving forward, and I slowly became myself again.

The thing that I’m most proud of is that I may have struggled, but I never quit. I always gave the maximum.”

The 22-time Grand Slam champion received a lot of messages after the announcement of his retirement, a further demonstration of how profound his impact on tennis and sport in general has been.