The former world number 1 is an example of resilience and self-sacrifice. He had to overcome countless obstacles and never gave up, even though his body sent him clear signals.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion has managed to extend his career beyond expectations and deserves to be considered one of the best athletes ever. His retirement took place just over a year ago, on the occasion of the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga. He did not receive the tribute he deserved on that occasion, but during the 2025 edition of Roland Garros a moving celebration was dedicated to him in the presence of his greatest rivals (Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray).
Rafa scared everyone
At this stage of his life, the Spanish legend does not miss tennis and enjoys life with his beautiful family. It is his wish to organize some exhibition matches with his old opponents in the future, but he is in no hurry to make decisions and prefers that his body is not put under too much stress after such a long career at the highest level.
During the latest episode of the ‘Nothing Major’ podcast, former top US analyst Steve Johnson told an anecdote about his match against Rafa at the 2015 Mutua Madrid Open: “I was terrified of not winning any match that day, I didn’t want to be ridiculed in front of such a big crowd. After I won the first game of the match, I felt calmer and suffered a significant loss.”
2015 was certainly not one of the best years in the great career of Nadal, who was not in top form due to some injuries and also did not win Roland Garros that year. He also struggled the following year, before returning to his best in 2017 (when he won two Grand Slam titles and finished the season at the top of the ATP rankings).
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