Rafael Nadal's career has been amazing in all respects and it is no secret that he is a source of inspiration for many athletes.
The former world number 1 has represented an example of resilience and self-sacrifice, having had to overcome numerous obstacles and never giving up even when his body sent him clear signals.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion has managed to extend his career beyond expectations and deserves to be considered as one of the best athletes ever. His retirement took place just over a year, on the occasion of the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga. He did not receive the tribute he deserved on that occasion, but a touching celebration was dedicated to him during the 2025 edition of Roland Garros in the presence of his greatest rivals (Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray).
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Rafa scared everyone
At this stage of his life, the Spanish legend does not miss tennis and is enjoying life together with his beautiful family. His desire is to organize some exhibition matches with his old opponents in the future, but he is not in a hurry to make decisions and prefers that his body is not too stressed after such a long career at the highest level.
During the latest episode of the 'Nothing Major' podcast, former American ace and top analyst Steve Johnson told an anecdote about his match against Rafa at the 2015 Mutua Madrid Open: "I was terrified of not winning a single game that day, I didn't want to be ridiculed in front of such a large crowd. After winning the first game of the match, I felt calmer and suffered a decent loss."
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2015 was certainly not one of the best years of Nadal's amazing career, who was not at the top of his shape due to some injuries and failed to win Roland Garros that year either. He also struggled the following year, before returning to his best in 2017 (when he won two Grand Slam titles and finished the season at the top of the ATP rankings).
