"Maybe it has been a taboo subject, but I perceive it as normal" - Rafael Nadal on importance of discussing mental health, reveals psychologist visit

By EKOJA JOSEPH

Modified Feb 15, 2024 01:54 GMT

Rafael Nadal recently discussed his visits to a psychologist and the importance of players opening up about their mental health, viewing it as something normal.

The former World No.1 returned to the ATP tour at the Brisbane International in January after spending most of the last season on the sidelines recovering from injury. Upon his return, he won his first match against Dominic Thiem in the first round. In the second round, he defeated Jason Kubler but lost to Jordan Thompson in the third round.

Nadal sustained an injury in his match against Jordan Thompson, causing him to miss the Australian Open and subsequent tournaments.

In a recent interview with The Objective, Nadal stated that he has never had any problems opening up about his mental health. He admitted that he has been to a psychologist twice at different stages in his life to address various problems.

“I have never had any problem talking about it, I went to a psychologist twice in my life, at two different stages in my life for two different problems I had” Nadal said

He likened mental health challenges to having physical pain, asserting that it's no different. Nadal claimed that he has always seen it as something normal and natural, considering it as another part of the body, but the most important.

“If you have pain in your leg, you go to the doctor. Maybe it has been a more taboo subject, but I don't perceive it this way, I perceive it as something normal and natural , it is just another part of the body and I would say the most important,” He said

Rafael Nadal - “It is an advance that people have the peace of mind of being able to talk about it”

In the same interview, the 22-time Grand Slam champion pointed out that it is an advancement that people now have peace of mind talking about mental health. However, he stated that it's not a new concept for him.

“It is an advance that people have the peace of mind of being able to talk about it, as I always had it, it doesn't seem new to me, maybe I don't see it this way” he added

The Spaniard's return to the tennis court was scheduled for the 2024 ATP ExxonMobil Open, but on Wednesday (February 14), he announced on social media that he wasn't ready to compete yet and withdrew from the tournament.

About the author

Joseph is a Tennis journalist at Sportskeeda with over 4 years of experience in sports journalism. He holds a Law degree, but became a sports journalist out of his love for sports.

Joseph follows genuine pages on social media platforms, and verifies information via multiple sources to ensure accuracy in his articles. To stay up to date with the latest developments in the sport, he follows the WTA and ATP closely. His methods have helped him garner over 1.6 million views in just seven months at Sportskeeda.

He's a die-hard fan of Novak Djokovic, admiring not only his exceptional on-court skills, but also his off-court persona. For Joseph, the Serb is also the rightful recipient of the ‘GOAT’ tag and credits his achievement of 24 Grand Slam titles and reign of 422 weeks as World No.1.

The British culture and strict uniformity at the Wimbledon Championships make the event his favorite on the tennis calendar. Outside of tennis, Joseph passionately supports Manchester United and considers Lionel Messi the greatest sportsman of all time. In his leisure time, he enjoys expanding his horizons with documentaries, particularly those focusing on politics.

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Edited by Vaishnavi Iyer