Article by Luminița Paul – published Tuesday, April 22, 2025, 7:29 pm / Updated Tuesday, April 2025 7:30 pm
Rafael Nadal (38 years old, former world leader) said again that he did not “lack tennis”, after being distinguished on Monday, April 21, with the Sporting Icon at the Laureus World Sport awards Gala.
The 38 -year -old Spaniard, winner of 22 Grand Slam trophies, of which 14 at Roland Garros, withdrew from tennis last November, after his last match in the Davis Cup in Malaga, lost in front of Dutch Van de Zandschulp.
“The truth is that I do not lack tennis. Zero. I do not miss it at all,” said Rafael Nadal to the reporters present at the Laureus Gala and quoted by AFP.
“But not because I finished tired of tennis or because I fought against tennis, no, at all,” he assured. “I closed my career happy and if I could, I would have continued, because I liked what I was doing. It was my passion and so it was all life“Nadal continued.
“Only when you realize that you can not do this physically … you try to close that chapter. And I closed it,” he pointed out.
Rafael Nadal: “I finished with the peace of mind to know that I gave everything”
Nadal suffered numerous physical troubles during his career, but he resisted as long as possible before reaching the decision to withdraw. Especially the year 2023 was a tormenting one, the Spaniard was injured during the match in round 2 of the Australian Open with American Macdonald, a problem at the hip, at the Psoas muscle, which made it return to tournaments only in January 2024.
“I was late to make the final decision because I needed time to be sure it was the right one. It would have been really hard to sit on the couch asking if I should try to play“He emphasized.
“When I saw that my body was not going to recover to the level I needed to continue to enjoy the field, then I made the decision to stop. And that's why I don't miss,” Nadal added. “Because I finished with the peace of mind to know that I gave everything and that my body could not offer more.”
Rafael Nadal and his wife, Maria Francisca Perello (right), pregnant in 5 months photo: Guliver/Gettyimages
In addition, personal life assures Rafa reasons to enjoy. He will soon become a father for the second time. His wife, Maria Francisca Perello, is pregnant in the fifth month, the two presenting together on the red carpet at Gala Laureus. Dressed in a black dress, with a transparent bolero, Mery was with other guests with Nadal. The couple has a boy, Rafael, born in October 2022.
