Rafael Nadal says he went through a somewhat unusual period during the early stages of his retirement from tennis.
Known for his competitiveness on the court throughout his career, the Spaniard said his desire to compete vanished when he initially stepped away from the Tour. Nadal is one of the most decorated players in the sport’s history with 92 ATP titles, including 14 French Open trophies. He recorded 1080 Tour-level wins and earned more than $134M in prize money.
“When I retired, for the next few months I lost all my competitive spirit,” Nadal told reporters in Paris on Sunday.
“I don’t know why. But I was playing golf or anything else, and I didn’t care if I lost, if I won, if I played well, if I played badly. It Was a strange feeling for me, and not funny.
“I didn’t like to experience that.”
Fortunately for the king of Clay, he has managed to get his winning mentality back. He now enjoys playing ‘daily golf competitions’ in what he describes as a ‘nicer way.’ However, he is still yet to return to the tennis court after playing his final match at the Davis Cup finals last year.
Nadal hasn’t outlined a plan as to when he will play tennis again but the Spaniard has stated that he will do it with eyes set on playing potential exhibition events. Something that will undoubtedly gain significant interest. Especially if he manages to persuade his former rivals such as Andy Murray, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic to take part. The trio featured in a special ceremony at the French Open that paid tribute to Nadal’s legacy at the tournament.
“I will be back at some point because I will prepare myself to play an exhibition or something like this,” Nadal said of his plans.
“I need to give myself a time of disconnection because in the end, playing exhibitions is not only going there and playing the match, it’s about all the preparation.
“When you play an exhibition you want to show a good level of tennis for the fans and for everybody who organizes.”
Reflecting on his career, the 38-year-old added that he has no regrets.
“I don’t miss much tennis because I feel that I gave all that I had,” Nadal explained.
“I did all that I could to have the best career possible and now I am enjoying this new phase of my life that I am sure is going to be less exciting than my tennis career because the adrenalin the sports gives to you, I think it’s impossible to find in other things in life.
“But that doesn’t mean I’m gonna be less happy. I can be happier with less adrenaline and taking care of different things.”
