Five months into his retirement, Rafael Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam champion, declared that he does not miss playing tennis at all. He stated, “The truth is I don’t miss it. In fact, I miss it zero.” Nadal made these remarks while receiving the Sporting Icon honor at the Laureus World Sports Awards held in Madrid, Spain. He elaborated that he concluded his career happily and does not feel tired of the sport.

Nadal’s official retirement was announced last October, with his last match played during the Davis Cup on November 19, 2024. This tennis star ended his career at the age of 38 with a remarkable record of 1080–228, winning 92 ATP Tour titles and securing two Olympic gold medals. A significant part of his success came on clay, where he clinched 63 titles, including a record 14 French Open championships.

Even though he does not miss playing now, Nadal mentioned, “If it had been possible, I would still be playing because I loved what I did.” He emphasized that he made the right decision to retire when he realized he could no longer perform at a high level.

“I finished happy with tennis,” he said. “I was passionate about it and it’s been like that my whole life. When you realize you can’t do it anymore, you try to close that chapter. And I closed it.”

Image from the Laureus World Sports Awards
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