"Very difficult moment" - Rafael Nadal unveils unexpected breathing struggles he faced on court that restricted him

Rafael Nadal opened up about facing breathing struggles on some days while playing on the court. The Spaniard recently hung his rackets after competing at the Davis Cup Finals.

Nadal announced his retirement on October 10, 2024, and then competed for one last time in the Davis Cup Finals in November. He squared off against the Netherlands' player, Botic van de Zandschulp, but lost the match, 6-4, 6-4.

Following this, the 38-year-old is ready to make his first tennis appearance after retirement at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah, which is slated for December 18-22.

The legendary tennis player recalled the difficult times he faced on the court in a recent essay titled 'The Gift' for The Players' Tribune. He revealed that he always knew how to handle physical pain, but when he suffered mentally, he underwent breathing problems while playing on the court. He shared that he faced problems in playing to his highest level.

"I went through a very difficult moment, mentally, a few years ago. Physical pain I was very used to, but there were times on the court when I had trouble controlling my breathing, and I couldn’t play at the highest level. I don’t have trouble saying it now," said Rafael Nadal.

Nadal also added that despite not being able to control his game sometimes, he worked on it to improve himself and exuded pride in never giving up.

"There were months when I thought about taking a complete break from tennis to cleanse my mind. In the end, I worked on it every day to get better. I conquered it by always moving forward, and I slowly became myself again. The thing that I’m most proud of is that I may have struggled, but I never quit. I always gave the maximum."

Rafael Nadal credited his father for being an inspiration in his career, even during gruesome injuries

Rafael Nadal gave an emotional retirement speech, where he spoke highly of his father, stating him as an inspiration. He lauded him for being his role model and said:

"To my father, who I believe, has been a source of inspiration to me in every sense of the word. I think he has been an example of effort, of overcoming. Many, many thanks to my father in a very, very special way," Nadal said.

In the interview with The Players' Tribune, the Spaniard also said that his father helped and encouraged him to come out of a difficult time when he sustained a career-ending injury, the Mueller-Weiss syndrome.

Rafael Nadal has won a total of 92 singles career titles, of which 22 are Grand Slams, and 14 French Open titles, and he has also won an Olympic gold medal in Beijing in 2008.