Rafael Nadal explains why he plays more golf than football now

Over the last decade and a half, Rafael Nadal has dominated the sport of tennis along with his Big 3 rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. Nadal has gained worldwide fame and popularity through his intensity, concentration and belief, which have helped him win 19 Grand Slam titles.

But when Rafael Nadal is not busy wrecking opponents with his lasso-like forehand, he likes playing other sports as well. During his Facebook Live session 'GETRAFAMOVING' which was sponsored by KIA, Nadal talked about the physical activities he gets into when he's not on the tennis court.

Rafael Nadal loves football, but finds it too risky to play

Rafael Nadal picked tennis over football as a youngster

Rafael Nadal answered various questions from fans during his Facebook Live session, ranging from who his tennis inspiration is to the most cherished moments of his career.

At one point he was asked by the host of the show what his favorite sport to play outside of tennis was, and Nadal replied:

"Well, I love football. But the problem is that it will be dangerous, for the injuries, no?"

As a child, Rafael Nadal was just as good at football as he was at tennis. The Spaniard's unreal physical conditioning and dexterity allowed him to excel in the 'beautiful game', and he seriously considered taking it up as a career.

While that never materialized, Rafael Nadal still continues to be heavily engaged in football. He is an avid Real Madrid fan, and his uncle Miguel Angel Nadal had even played for FC Barcelona in the 90s.

I like to play golf as I can spend time with family and friends: Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal competed in a professional golf tournament in 2016

Adding an asterisk to his answer about football being his favorite sport, Rafael Nadal clarified that he likes playing golf more now.

"So, I am playing more golf these days," Nadal said. "I like to play golf, it is a social sport. I get to spend time in the family, with friends. It's a sport with hand technique, where you can compete with people with all kinds of different level. That makes the sport fun."

Rafael Nadal has also been passionate about golf since he was young. He used to play at a level good enough to compete at the professional level, and these days he often enjoys spending his downtime by taking to the golf course.

Asked if he was as good at football as he was at golf, Nadal laughed and said:

"Football, I'm very bad at it today. I used to play football for a team here as a 14-year-old. I was okay, not bad. But now, honestly I am not able to play football, I am either bad or very bad at it."