After his retirement from tennis in November at the last Davis Cup in Málaga, Rafa Nadal has used the Players' Tribune platform to write a letter in which he opens up to emphasize some chapters of his career in an emotional piece. The platform is frequented by top athletes who are given a voice to delve into their more personal side. Initially, the manacorí delves into his beginnings. At 12, he had a great passion for fishing, and one day while practicing it, he learned a valuable lesson from his uncle Toni, his coach for most of his career.
“One day, I went fishing when I could have been training. The next day, I lost the match. I remember crying in the car on the way back home, and my uncle, who at that age had a great influence on me and was the one who made me fall in love with tennis, said to me: 'It's okay, it's just a tennis match. Don't cry now, it doesn't make sense. If you want to fish, you can fish. No problem. But you will lose. If you want to win, then you have to do what you have to do first,' recalls the man from Mallorca.”
Injuries were always his biggest setback. “I got injured when I was 17 and they told me I'd probably never play professional tennis again. I learned that things can end in an instant. It wasn't just a small fracture in my foot, it was a disease. A disease with no cure, only management: Müller-Weiss Syndrome. What does that mean? You go from the greatest joy to waking up the next day unable to walk. I spent many days at home crying, but it was a great lesson in humility,” details the winner of 22 Grand Slams.
Nadal has always stood out for his emotional intelligence and resilience on the court. However, it wasn't always easy for him. “For 30 years, the image I projected to the world wasn't always what I felt inside. Honestly, I've always been nervous before every match I've played; that never goes away. Every night, before a match, I would go to bed feeling like I could lose. In tennis, the difference between players is very small, and between opponents, even smaller. When you step onto the court, anything can happen, so all your senses must be alert, alive.”
“Throughout most of my career, I was good at controlling those emotions... with one exception. I went through a very tough time, mentally, a few years ago. I was very accustomed to physical pain, but there were moments on the court where I had trouble controlling my breathing and couldn't play at the highest level. I have no problem saying it now. After all, we are human beings, not superheroes. (...) What I am most proud of is that, even though I struggled, I never gave up. I always gave my all,” delved the manacorí.
Another aspect present in the letter are some of the greatest memories of his career. “There are many moments of joy that I will never forget. The Davis Cup in 2004, Roland Garros in 2005, Wimbledon in 2008, my first US Open, and when I completed the Grand Slam tournaments circle in Melbourne. And I don't forget tournaments like Madrid and Barcelona in my country, or Indian Wells or Cincinnati, the beautiful Montecarlo... I am filled with incredible memories. However, you can never stop demanding from yourself. (...) That's how I became a better player.”
The tennis player from Mallorca has always relied on his surroundings and taken them as an example both on and off the court. “Ultimately, when all is said and done, you get back what you put in. I hope my legacy is that I always tried to treat others with deep respect. This was my parents' golden rule. When I was a child, my father always told me: 'Inventing is hard, copying is much easier.' He wasn't talking about tennis. He was talking about life. Look around you and observe the people you admire. How do they treat others? What do you like about them? Act like them, and you will probably live a happy life. (...) I didn't feed off hatred towards my rivals, but rather from a deep respect and admiration,” confesses the double Olympic gold medalist.
Nadal concludes the written piece by analyzing what he has given and received throughout his tennis career: “For over 30 years, I have given everything I could to this game. In return, I have received joy and happiness. Joy and happiness, love and friendship, and much more...”