Rafael Nadal's vaccine status: Is the Spaniard vaccinated? 

Rafael Nadal's remarkable 2022 season has hit an unexpected roadblock, as the Spaniard has been forced to the sidelines for the next four to six weeks with a rib fracture. He was visibly in pain during the final against Taylor Fritz and went on to remark in his press conference afterward that it was "tough" for him to even breathe.

This led to widespread speculation on social media that his chest pains were a side effect of the COVID vaccine, something he has been a huge proponent of. Now that it has been confirmed that his problems have absolutely nothing to do with the vaccine, here are a few important clarifications regarding Nadal and his vaccination status.

Rafael Nadal has consistently maintained over the years that he is in favor of the COVID vaccine, hailing it as the "only way out of this nightmare."

"The only way out of this nightmare is vaccination. Our responsibility as human beings is to accept it. I know there is a percentage of people who will suffer from side effects, but the effects of the virus are worse," Nadal said.

Staying true to his words, the 35-year-old took both doses in the following months. Speaking in an interview a couple of months later, the former World No. 1 accused people who were refusing the vaccine of "being selfish," emphasizing that he trusted the doctors in their quest to eradicate the virus.

"I understand that there are people who do not want to be vaccinated, but it seems a bit selfish to me. We have suffered a lot. We do not know one hundred percent the effects of vaccines, but we do have to trust the doctors," Nadal said. "It seems that today [Spain] is the country that is least affected by the virus and I think it is because we have a large part of the population vaccinated."

What is Rafael Nadal's stance on vaccination?

Rafael Nadal has consistently rallied in support of vaccines and health professionals in general

Rafael Nadal has explained his stance on COVID vaccinations time and again, noting that he is not an expert on the issue. Instead, he has maintained that he will listen to what health organizations and experts say on the matter.

"I am just following what the health organizations say. I don’t pretend to know more than what the authorized people say. If the people who really know about this say that we need to be vaccinated, who am I to create a different opinion?" Nadal said.

Despite this, the World No. 3 ended up contracting a COVID infection at the end of last year. Thankfully, the Spaniard recovered quickly to begin the year in the best way possible.

During Novak Djokovic's vaccine row earlier this year prior to the Australian Open, the former World No. 1 sided with the Australian government's guidelines. While the Spaniard conceded that people had the individual freedom to decide whether to get the vaccine or not, he held firm that they had to adhere to the rules levied by health officials.

"From my point of view, that's the only thing that I can say is I believe in what the people who knows about medicine says, and if the people says that we need to get vaccinated, we need to get the vaccine," he said. "I don't encourage no one. I feel like everyone has to do whatever, whatever feels that is good for him. But there are rules, and if you don't want to get the vaccine, then you can have some troubles."

Speaking in a recent interview, tennis writer Peter Bodo lavished praise on the 21-time Grand Slam champion for his actions during the pandemic. The American felt that everything the Spaniard did during this time was "spot on" and lauded him for "steering clear of all controversies."