Rafael Nadal has revealed he has no regrets and harbours no longing for competitive tennis following his official retirement from the sport.
The 38-year-old Spanish legend was honoured with the Sporting Icon award at the Laureus World Sports Awards in Madrid on Monday. Speaking to reporters at the event, Nadal was candid about life after tennis, saying, “The truth is that I don’t miss tennis. Zero. I don’t miss it at all.”
Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam champion, including a record 14 French Open titles, played his final professional match at the Davis Cup in Malaga in November 2023. Despite a career defined by extraordinary success and resilience in the face of injuries, the former world number one said he retired on his own terms.
“It’s not because I finished tired of tennis or fighting against it,” Nadal explained. “I finished my career happy. If I could have, I would have carried on because I loved what I was doing.”
Known for his fierce determination and competitive spirit, Nadal admitted the decision to retire was not easy. He delayed his final call, hoping his body would recover enough to continue playing at a high level.
“What would have been hard was sitting on my sofa wondering if I should keep trying to play,” he said. “When I saw that my body wasn’t going to recover to the level I needed to enjoy myself on court, then I made the decision to stop.”
Nadal concluded with a sense of closure: “That’s why I don’t miss it — because I finished with the peace of mind of knowing that I’d given it my all, and that my body couldn’t give any more.”
The Laureus recognition adds another honour to Nadal’s illustrious legacy, celebrating not just his achievements on court but also his enduring impact on the sport.
