"My parents were concerned that all this tennis was killing my studies" - When Rafael Nadal recalled being disallowed to compete in junior Grand Slams

Rafael Nadal is among the greatest tennis players of all time, and has enjoyed a glittering career spanning over two decades. But when the Spaniard was in his formative years he was concerned that studies would kill his tennis, while his parents - his mother in particular - thought the opposite.

Nadal wrote in his memoir 'Rafa: My Story' that he could not compete in the junior tournaments at the French Open and Wimbledon because of his studies. The King of Clay stated that his mother told him he would have another chance of competing in tournaments, but he would not have another chance of passing his exams.

"My parents, my mother in particular, were concerned that all this tennis was killing my studies. My concern was that the studies were going to kill my tennis. They killed my chances of playing at the Wimbledon Junior Tournament and the one at Roland Garros too," Nadal wrote.

"'But these tournaments are so important! I complained to my mother. To which she replied, 'Yes, I’m certain of it, but I assure you that you’ll have another chance to play in those competitions; but if you abandon your studies, you most definitely will not have another chance to pass your exams'," he added.

Rafael Nadal has won a record 22 Grand Slam singles titles so far

Rafael Nadal at the 2023 Australian Open

Rafael Nadal ended up not only pursuing a career in tennis but also establishing himself as one of the sport's all-time greats. The Spaniard has won 22 Grand Slam titles so far, a joint record among male players.

14 of these triumphs have come at the French Open, which is the highest number of singles titles won by any player at a single Grand Slam. Nadal has an incredible 112-3 record at the clay-court Major.

Nadal has won the US Open four times while triumphing twice each at the Australian Open and Wimbledon. His last Major came at the 2022 French Open, where he beat Casper Ruud 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 in the final.

Apart from his Grand Slam wins, Nadal has also won 36 Masters 1000 titles and Olympic golds in both singles and doubles.

The Spaniard has a total of 92 career singles titles, which is the fifth most by any man in the Open Era. He is only behind Jimmy Connors, Roger Federer, Ivan Lendl, and Novak Djokovic on that list.

Over the course of his career, Nadal has forged fierce rivalries with both Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. He leads 24-16 in the head-to-head against the Swiss and narrowly trails Djokovic by a margin of 29-30.