Sports · Tennis · 3 hrs ago
Rafael Nadal says injuries helped him value tennis, but retirement feels right
Rafael Nadal says years of injuries shaped how he saw his career.
The Spanish tennis champion retired in 2024 after a hip injury, following more than 20 years on tour.
He said pain was part of his daily life and that injuries kept him from playing at his best.
He sees one benefit: the injuries made him value the great moments more.
Nadal won 22 Grand Slam titles and was world No.
1, but says his body had nothing left to give.
He feels he retired at the right time and does not miss much about professional tennis.
The adrenaline of competing is hard to find outside sport, though he says life has moved on and he now focuses on other projects and his family.
Rafael Nadal said injuries helped him enjoy and value tennis’s best moments more.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion said he played with too much pain on a daily basis throughout his career.
Nadal retired in 2024, saying his body was finished and he had nothing more to give.
He said he does not miss much about being a professional player, though the adrenaline and special feeling of sport are difficult to find elsewhere.
- Who
- Rafael Nadal, the retired Spanish tennis player.
- What
- He said injuries helped him value tennis’s great moments, despite living with daily pain.
- When
- He shared his reflections in an interview with The Athletic, reported on October 23, 2026.
- Where
- Not stated
- Why
- Injuries repeatedly limited Nadal and ultimately contributed to his retirement.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Nadal won his first 20 matches and the Australian Open and French Open before an abdominal tear derailed his season.
Nadal injured his hip at the Australian Open and did not play for a year.
Nadal injured his hip again on his return to action.
Nadal ended his career after competing in seven more events.
Nadal’s reflections on injuries and retirement were reported following an interview with The Athletic.
- Grand Slam titles
- 22
- Retirement
- November 2024
- Australian Open and French Open
- Nadal won both in 2022
- 2023 hip injury
- Sustained at the Australian Open; he did not play for a year
- Daily experience
- Nadal said he played his career with too much pain
3 sources
What people are saying
The only positive thing I’ve taken from all the injuries was that I was able to enjoy more and put more value on the great moments.
But I lived all my tennis career with pain — on a daily basis, I had too much pain.
I had nothing else to give.
But the adrenaline and this special feeling that sport brings to you, it’s something difficult to find outside.