Rafael Nadal opens up on what 'drastically changed' his life off-court - 'I was a sad person most days'
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Published 23/12/2022 at 22:57 GMT
Rafael Nadal says a new treatment for his foot injury has made a huge difference to his career, and life in general. He reflected on 2022 as whole and his success in adding two Grand Slam titles to his record: the French Open and the Australian Open. The world No. 2 also spoke warmly about Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, saying the trio have pushed each other "to the limit".
Nadal 'doesn't consider' being the best tennis player of all time
Rafael Nadal has hailed a new treatment for his chronic foot injury which has made a drastic change to his career - and life away from tennis.
Nadal has been plagued by the issue - Mueller-Weiss syndrome - throughout his career, and needed injections to numb his foot during this year’s French Open final, winning the Grand Slam for a 14th time with victory over beating Casper Ruud.
Outlining the debt of gratitude he owes to his the medical professionals who have helped him, Nadal said that the new treatment "has drastically changed not only my career, which in the end is secondary, but my personal life,” he explained in an interview with MARCA.
“Now I am much happier, beyond winning or losing on the court, because I was suffering from a limp. I played tennis with lots and lots of anti-inflammatories but I was limping all day long.
"I thought I had to quit tennis because I had lost my vitality and I was a sad person most days.
"After winning at Roland Garros I was happy but at the same time I thought I was going to have to retire if a solution was not found for my foot because I could not continue with those chronic pains."
The world No. 2 has experienced a year of mixed fortunes and elaborated on his desperately disappointing last-four withdrawal from Wimbledon, but insists he can be satisfied after winning two Grand Slams this year.
“In that scenario I rupture my abdominal - retire and do not play in the semifinals against Nick Kyrgios - and from then on the year has been a disaster, because I ruptured my abdominal again the week before the US Open.
“I didn't I wanted to say anything at the time because I was tired of telling sorrows! Then I had to recover again and then my son was born, so it was difficult to get to the last stage of the season with optimal preparation.
“Although, when I look back on this year, the difficult moments and the injuries will fade into the background and I will have won two Grand Slam titles, so the final balance is fantastic and very exciting, although also very painful. That’s the reality.”
Nadal, along with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, previously established themselves as the supposed ‘big three’ of the men’s game, before Federer announced his retirement in September.
The Spaniard hailed the immense contributions which both players have made to the game, and responded to suggestions he has been the biggest rival to both the Swiss and the Serbian.
“It is true that I am Federer's first great rival so I understand that he sees it this way,” he explained.
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“Then, when Novak arrives, it's true that Federer is still better than me but in later years I win more than Roger, so I've also met Djokovic more times on court.
“In other words, I've been more of a rival to him than Roger. In the end I see it as something positive because it is true that between the three of us, we have taken a lot away but I don't think any of them would have reached 35 years of age or more while being that competitive without the other two.
“Federer, Djokovic and I have pushed ourselves to the limit, to improve, to always be wanting more.”
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