Rafael Nadal says he has no regrets and doesn’t miss tennis after officially stepping away from the sport last year. The 38-year-old Spanish legend was honored with a Sporting Icon award at the Laureus World Sports Awards on Monday in Madrid.
Nadal, who won 22 Grand Slam titles—14 of them at the French Open—played his last professional match at the Davis Cup in Malaga in November.
“The truth is that I don’t miss tennis. Zero. I don’t miss it at all,” Nadal told reporters. “But not because I ended up tired of it or fighting with the sport. Not at all.”
He explained that he left the game happy and fulfilled. “If I could have continued, I would have, because I loved what I was doing,” he said. “It was my passion, and it always has been. But when you realize your body can’t handle it anymore, you have to close that chapter. And I did.”
Throughout his career, Nadal battled many injuries but kept pushing forward. He said he delayed retirement to make sure he was truly ready.
“I needed time to be sure the decision was right. What would have been difficult was sitting on the couch wondering if I should have kept going,” he said.
Once he realized his body wouldn’t recover enough for him to enjoy competing, Nadal knew it was time.
“That’s why I don’t miss it,” he added. “I finished with peace of mind, knowing I gave everything I had. My body couldn’t give any more.”
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