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Rafael Nadal is less than a year in retirement, and the 22-time Grand Slam Master shows no signs of regret.
In a speech with the media at Laureus World Sports Awards in Madrid on Monday night, Nadal was honest about his time away from the courts. The Spanish legend said he is not missing out on playing, and his reason is because he left the game and felt “happy.”
Rafael Nadal from Spain responds to a point during his match against Alexander Zverev from Germany on day two of Roland Garros on Stade Roland Garros on May 27, 2024. (Susan Mullane-USA Today Sports)
“The truth is that I don’t miss it. In fact, I miss that zero,” he said via CBS SPORTS. “But I miss that zero not because I was tired of tennis or fought against tennis. Not at all, the very opposite. I ended happy with tennis.”
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Nadal, 38, is largely considered one of the biggest of the time and had competed with Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer for some of Tennis’ toughest matches on the big stage for decades. “The Big Three”, as they became known as, has collected 66 Grand Slam Singles titles between them.
Only Djokovic remains active.
Nadal announced his retirement from the sport in October after injuries inhibited the latter half of his career.
Rafael Nadal plays against Novak Djokovic (SRB) in the gentlemen’s first round during Olympic summer matches in Paris 2024 on Stade Roland Garros on July 29, 2024. (Amber Searls-has Today Sports)
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“It’s obviously a difficult decision, someone who has taken me for some time to take,” he said in his pension message. “But in this life, everything has a beginning and an end. And I think it’s the appropriate time to put an end to a career that has been long and much more successful than I could ever imagine.”
Nadal added Monday that he was missing nothing, if he was still healthy today, he would still play.
“If it had been possible, I would still play because I loved what I did,” he said, according to the report. “I am passionate about it and it has been like it all my life. It’s just that when you realize you can’t do it anymore, you’re trying to close this chapter. And I closed it.”
Rafael Nadal waves to the crowd after losing to Austin Krajicek and Rayev Ram (USA) in a men’s double quarter -final tennis match during Olympic summer matches in Paris 2024 at Stade Roland Garros on July 31, 2024. (Kirby Lee/USA Today Sports)
Nadal has won a record 14 French Open Titles, the United States open four times and won twice at the Australian Open and Wimbledon respectively. He received gold medals in 2008 in Beijing and 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.
His retirement followed Federers in 2022.
