Rafael Nadal will go down as one of the greatest tennis players of all time following his retirement in November of last year. However, the 22-time Grand Slam winner has spoken about his struggles with the mental side of professional tennis during a recent interview with The Players’ Tribune. Nadal called time on his illustrious career following Spain’s Davis Cup Finals loss to the Netherlands.
Rafael Nadal has revealed that he struggled with the mental side of professional tennis during the latter stages of his illustrious career.
The 22-time Grand Slam winner retired following Spain’s Davis Cup Finals defeat against the Netherlands in November, having battled through a number of injuries during his time in the sport.
However, Nadal insisted that he found dealing with the mental strain of competitive sport more challenging than the physical pain.
“I went through a very difficult moment mentally a few years ago,” he told The Players’ Tribune.
“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.
“I went through a very difficult moment mentally a few years ago,” he told The Players’ Tribune.
“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.
“The person you see at centre court with a trophy is a person. Exhausted, relieved, happy, thankful – but just a person.
“Thankfully, I didn’t get to the point of not being able to control things like anxiety, but there are moments with every player when it is difficult to control your mind. When that happens it is difficult to have total control of your game.
“There were moments with every player when it is difficult to have total control of your game.
“There were months when I thought about taking a complete break from tennis to cleanse my mind. 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.”
Nadal gave fans some iconic moments over the years, and some incredible rivalries against the likes of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
The Spaniard admitted that he still felt nervous before every match despite his experience of competing on the grandest stages.
“Honestly, I have been nervous before every match I have ever played — it never leaves you,” he added.
“Every night before a match, I went to bed feeling that I could lose, and also when I woke up in the morning!
“In tennis, the difference between players is very thin, and between rivals even more.
“When you go out there on the court, anything can happen, so all your senses must be awake, alive.
“That feeling, the inner fire and the nerves, the adrenaline of walking out and seeing a full court, it is a sensation that is very difficult to describe.
“It is a sensation that only a few can understand, and something that I am sure will never be the same now that I am retiring as a professional.
“There still will be those moments playing exhibitions and maybe other sports, too.
“I will always compete and try to give the best I can, but it won’t be the same feeling as walking out in front of the fans at any given stadium.”
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