Tennis legend Rafael Nadal has revealed the extraordinary health risks he undertook throughout his career, driven by a chronic foot injury. The Spaniard, who retired in 2024 with 22 Grand Slam titles, shared his struggles following a Netflix series, Rafa, which explored his physical and mental battles.
Nadal was diagnosed with the rare Mueller-Weiss syndrome after breaking his foot during the 2005 Madrid Open final. The condition, linked to intensive childhood training under his uncle Toni, threatened his career. He told the BBC: 'I've had to make decisions about my health, where you are on the borderline between right or wrong. But if I hadn't explored all that, I probably would have had 10 fewer Grand Slams.'
The injury persisted even as he won 13 more Grand Slams over nine years. 'Tennis became a race against time. Always having the doubt in my head of, how long can I last with this foot?' he said. His dedication led to further issues, including tendinitis in his left knee and intestinal perforations from painkiller use. During his final Grand Slam victory at the 2022 French Open, he relied on anaesthetic injections that left his leg numb.
The 39-year-old concluded: 'The key was the suffering was less than my passion and my happiness for what I was doing.' Nadal won the French Open 14 times, a record unlikely to be matched. This year's tournament has seen shocks, with Jannik Sinner losing and Carlos Alcaraz withdrawing due to injury.
