The ease at which Rafael Nadal broke records in his playing career, winning almost everything on offer in tennis, would give the impression that things were always smooth sailing for the Spaniard. However, the adage, ‘nothing comes easy’, holds true to the hilt for the 22-time Grand Slam champion. He fought his own share of battles. And, no, we are not just talking about the tough tussles he withstood on the court rubbing shoulders with two of the greatest of all time.
Soon after his retirement announcement, his uncle and ex-coach Toni Nadal revealed that Rafa played almost his whole career enduring physical pain. Toni added that Rafa had been on painkillers since 2005. The condition was so bad that the Spaniard could not play a match or complete even a practice session without popping a pill to ease his pain.
At the age of 19, the tennis legend was diagnosed with Mueller-Weiss syndrome. The condition caused immense pain in his foot. One can imagine how difficult it would have been for him to move actively, let alone play top-tier tennis.
“Rafael got used to playing with pain, but I told his father that if we had retired every time he had problems he could have taken away five or six Grand Slam titles. The problem he had is that he got used to playing with pain and saw that most of the time he came out stronger,” Toni Nadal told the Spanish publication Marca.
Nadal thanks uncle Toni
It was Toni who inspired Nadal to take up the sport. However, Rafa despised training under him initially.
He needed a little nudge from his parents to continue his tennis journey under Toni, and the rest, as they say, is history. Rafa also thanked his uncle in his retirement announcement video, saying,
“My uncle, who is the reason I started playing tennis. I believe that thanks to him, I have also been able to overcome many situations that have been difficult in my sporting career.”
Nadal’s retirement sent the tennis world on an emotional rollercoaster ride. The fact that they will not be able to watch the King of Clay rule the roost at Roland Garros or any of the iconic tennis venues in the world after next month’s Davis Cup playoffs is hard to accept. After Toni’s revelation, fans also know the kind of pain he would have endured while creating those moments of history, making the farewell all the more… Well, the word is painful. Painful indeed.
