"Rafael Nadal is full of fears and insecurities.. he doesn't like the dark" - When mother Ana Maria revealed Spaniard's peculiar life habits

Rafael Nadal is one of the fiercest competitors tennis has ever known, cultivating a reputation for himself as a player who will fight till the last point on the tennis court. As it turns out, he could not be more different when it came to matters in his private life.

According to his mother Ana Maria, the Spaniard is a 'super-sensitive' human being, with fears and insecurities of his own that fans would never associate with him. Nadal's mother has also spoken fondly of her son's peculiar habits, including his tendency to stay away from dark places.

Speaking in her son's autobiography - ‘Rafa: My Story’ by Rafael Nadal with John Carlin - Ana Maria revealed that the 22-time Grand Slam champion preferred to fall asleep with the light still on, shedding light on a unique aspect of his personality.

She also disclosed how her son was scared of thunder and lightning, to the point that he would hide under a cushion as a child when there was a storm brewing outside their home in Mallorca.

"Deep down, he is a super-sensitive human being full of fears and insecurities that people who don’t know him would scarcely imagine,” says Ana Maria. “He doesn’t like the dark, for example, and he prefers to sleep with the light, or the TV, on. He is not comfortable with thunder and lightning, either," she said.

"When he was a child he’d hide under a cushion when that happened and, even now, when there’s a storm and you need to go outside to fetch something, he won’t let you," she added.

Rafael Nadal's mother also threw light on her son's peculiar eating habits, lamenting his loathing of cheese, tomato and even ham -- the national dish of Spain.

“And then there are his eating habits, his loathing of cheese and tomato, and of ham, the national dish of Spain. I’m not as mad about ham myself as most people seem to be, but cheese? It is a bit peculiar," she added.

---

Rafael Nadal's mother Ana Maria: "Neither his father nor I had the aim to create a footballer or a tennis player"

Davis Cup Finals - Source: Getty

Rafael Nadal's mother Ana Maria has previously spoken about his upbringing, stating clearly that neither she nor his father Sebastian had the ambition of making him a great athlete.

Instead, they wanted to give him a sound educational background first, setting no sports objectives for the Mallorcan whatsoever.

"Neither his father nor I we had the aim to create a footballer or a tennis player. It would have been a mistake from the educational standpoint. The children should enjoy studying and playing. You cannot set objectives. Some want to see their children as future cracks (greats). We never really considered this. If it happened good. If not..." she said in a 2010 interview with As.com.

After a career spanning nearly two decades, Nadal finally retired in 2024, making his final appearance at the Davis Cup representing his national team one last time.