"I didn't talk to my father on the rest of the trip home" - When Rafael Nadal recalled his reaction on finding out about parents' separation

Rafael Nadal once said he was stunned when he found out about his parents being separated.

Nadal wrote in his memoir "Rafa: My Story" that his father told him about a possible separation from his mother when they were traveling from Melbourne to Dubai in 2009. The Spaniard won his maiden Australian Open crown that year by defeating Roger Federer 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (7-3), 3-6, 6-2 in a thrilling final that lasted four hours and 23 minutes.

Nadal claimed that had his father told him before the final, he wouldn't have recovered from his tedious semifinal with Fernando Verdasco. The Spaniard added that he did not speak to his father during the remainder of their trip.

An excerpt from chapter eight of the book, which was published in 2011, reads:

"On the first leg of the long journey back from Australia, on the flight from Melbourne to Dubai, my father told me there were problems back home between himself and my mother. I quickly figured out he meant a separation was in the cards."

"Fortunately he had the tact not to tell me a couple of days earlier, before the final; otherwise, I would not have found the strength to recover from the semifinal with Verdasco. But that was only the tiniest of consolations. The news left me stunned. I didn’t talk to my father on the rest of the trip home."

Nadal further said his parents were the "pillar" of his life that had crumbled due to their separation.

"My parents were the pillar of my life and that pillar had crumbled. The continuity I so valued in my life had been cut in half, and the emotional order I depend on had been dealt a shocking blow."

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Rafael Nadal has won 22 Grand Slam singles titles in his career so far

Rafael Nadal at the 2023 Australian Open

Rafael Nadal has had an extraordinary career so far. He has won 22 Grand Slam singles titles and established himself as one of the greatest players of all time.

14 of his Major triumphs have come at the French Open, which is a record by any player, male or female, at a single Grand Slam. He has also won four US Open titles, while winning Wimbledon and the Australian Open twice each.

Nadal (37) has yet to play a match since his second-round exit at the Australian Open against Mackenzie McDonald in January, as he is recovering from a hip injury he suffered during the tournament. His prolonged absence from the tour has seen him drop to 243rd in the ATP rankings.