22 Grand Slam wins, including 14 in the French Championships, 209 weeks as world number one, and Olympic gold in 2008 and 2016. When Rafael Nadal ended his career in October last year, he did so as one of the greatest.
The decision came after several injury-plagued years, during which Nadal slid further and further down the rankings.
And now Nadal is telling, at the Laureus World Sports Awards gala, that he doesn't regret it at all.
The truth is that I don't miss tennis. Zero, actually, I don't miss it at all, he says and continues:
It's not because I was tired of tennis. It was my passion and it has been my whole life. It's just that when you physically can't do it anymore, you need to close that chapter. And that's what I did.
Nadal explains that the decision took longer due to the injuries, but that the last few years also helped him to end his career.
It would have been tough if I had been sitting on the couch wondering if I could continue. But when I realized that my body wasn't recovering the way I needed to enjoy myself on the court, I made the decision. I got to end with the knowledge that I gave it my all.
Nadal – called "The King of Clay" – will be honored when the French Championships begin on May 25.
