Our champion also spoke about retirement, and the good news is that it hasn\u2019t been bad for him. However, he acknowledged that he has lost competitiveness when playing other sports, such as golf.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat matters to me is knowing that I\u2019ve surpassed myself. Winning or losing are circumstances that one cannot control. \u2018I\u2019ve lost competitiveness, and that annoys me. I go play golf, and I\u2019m not as focused. I don\u2019t understand playing without a goal. I\u2019ve always considered myself a competitor, and fighting\u2026 I prefer that over winning easily. When you retire, your body takes a break, but I already feel more centered. Retirement hasn\u2019t been bad for me; I\u2019ve handled it well.’\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cMy uncle Toni coached me since I was three years old, and then other key people joined in. I had proper education and preparation for the future. A family that always treated me like one of their own, without adding pressure. When these moments of pressure come, it\u2019s the previous preparation that helps you tolerate what\u2019s happening. It\u2019s self-control, knowing how to manage emotions.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n In 2005, Rafa was diagnosed with M\u00fcller-Weiss Syndrome in his left foot, a condition that caused the rupture of his scaphoid. From there, and as Rafa himself points out,\u00a0\u2018several doctors\u2019<\/em>\u00a0delivered the bad news that he would never play again. However, after several studies, a solution was found:\u00a0\u201cThere was no way out, several doctors told me I wouldn\u2019t play again. I was 19 years old\u2026 but in the end, a solution was found. Shifting the support point with a 7-millimeter insole and a special shoe. And it worked\u2026 the foot was fixed, but everything else broke down and it disrupted my entire body.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n He revisited some of his most special matches and mentioned the 2008 Wimbledon final, where he dethroned Roger Federer on grass for the first time after a memorable match:\u00a0\u201cIt was one of the most difficult matches to manage in my career because of what it meant at that moment. It was my third Wimbledon final after losing in 2006 and 2007 to him. I was hurt, and beating him gave me an extra boost of confidence, and allowed me to prove to myself that I could win big tournaments outside of clay courts.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n He also wanted to highlight his comeback in the 2022 Australian Open final against Daniil Medvedev.\u00a0\u201cI thought I was going to lose, but it was very important not to give up. I\u2019ve always been a player with good self-control, I haven\u2019t been a frustrated tennis player on the court, and accepting things allows you to find solutions in the game. For that 4%, it was worth fighting. That\u2019s always been my point of view,\u2019 added the Balearic, winner of 92 titles throughout his sporting career.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Rafa reflected on the current state of tennis and stated that,\u00a0\u201cif there is no change in the rules in the future,\u2019 a player over two meters tall with \u2018good mobility\u2019 will come along, and you won\u2019t be able to compete against him: \u2018Tennis hasn\u2019t changed at all in terms of rules throughout its history. People are getting taller and moving better. The serve has a decisive impact. If that power isn\u2019t limited, someone over two meters tall with good mobility will come along, and you won\u2019t be able to compete against him, you won\u2019t be able to break his serve. That day hasn\u2019t come yet, though. Djokovic reached a final two days ago, I was competing a year and a half ago\u2026 it makes me think that the change hasn\u2019t been as drastic yet because we\u2019ve still had the possibility of success.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In the latest interview, Rafael Nadal says that his successful career and winning 92 titles haven\u2019t changed him as a person and that he gave everything he… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":38894,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38893","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tennis"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rafaelnadalfans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Rafael-Nadal-at-Escuela-Universitaria-UAX-Rafa-Nadal-2025.jpeg?resize=723%2C482&ssl=1\")