At 36 and at the dawn of his 22nd year on the professional circuit, Rafael Nadal wants to enjoy his last years without taking his head, as he confided to Marca and As. A few months ago, he thought his career was going to end because of his chronic foot injury: “
I played tennis with a lot of anti-inflammatories but I was lame all day.
I thought I had to quit tennis because I had lost my vitality and was a sad person most of the time
,” the Mallorcan confessed.
“
I had lost my vitality and was a sad person most of the time
”
Rafael Nadal on his daily life before treatment for his foot.
He was very grateful to his doctors who allowed him to smile again and win his 14th victory at Roland-Garros last spring: "
I have to thank Mario, my anesthesiologist, and Dr Ángel Ruiz-Cotorro, who got in touch with pain unit specialist David Abejón to start a treatment that radically changed not my career, which is ultimately secondary, but my personal life.
Now I'm much happier, beyond winning or losing on the court, because I was lame.
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He doesn't think about retirement
At 36, the end of the story with the world of professional tennis is fast approaching for Rafael Nadal, but he does not want to think about it too much: "
My retirement, I do not visualize it, for a simple fact, because I am not a seer or seer and because things change so fast.
I know that time is closer than last year, no doubt, and that was two years ago.
It's pure logic.
But in the end, it's a thing that will happen when it has to happen.
I wish it was on a tennis court, mind you.
»
If he refuses to project himself too much, "
Rafa
" has already had a small idea of what the end of his career could be by attending that of his friend Roger Federer: "
Roger's retirement was both sad and exciting.
I think he's one of the great icons in sports history in general, so it was a tough time.
It will happen to me with Messi and Cristiano.
They're people you've grown up with all your life, sharing moments and watching them on TV, so they're almost like your family.
And when they retire, as happened with Roger, you know you won't see them play anymore.
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'When Messi scored the third goal I was in tears'
A big football fan, Rafael Nadal obviously followed the World Cup.
Unhappy with Spain, eliminated in the round of 16, the Spaniard simply took advantage of the spectacle offered by this World Cup, happy with the outcome: “
It was a spectacular final.
I'm sorry for the French (...) but as a lover and nostalgic for sport, Messi lifting the World Cup made me happy.
Without being for Argentina, when Messi scored the third goal, I was in tears.
For the thrill of seeing someone so great realize what he lacked and had suffered so much to achieve.
No wonder for Nadal with whom the notion of pleasure is, it seems, inevitably linked to suffering...
He is waiting for Mbappé at Real Madrid
He still had a word for the other man in this final, Kylian Mbappé.
He, the Real Madrid supporter, could have held it against the Parisian for having rejected the offer from the Spanish club last summer, but it is not so.
He even hopes to see him join the Merengue one day or another: "
I have nothing to forgive Mbappé and as a Madrid fan, if I could, he should come tomorrow.
I think he wanted to come to Madrid, but for many factors everything was very complicated.
I hope I can see him in Madrid in the future.
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