"When I am not happy I am ­horrible, but I never shout... everybody does stupid things" - When Rafael Nadal spoke about how he controls his anger

Rafael Nadal is among the greatest champions tennis has ever seen, winning 22 Grand Slam titles -- the second most in the Open Era among men. More importantly, the Spaniard is also known for his sense of sportsmanship on the court.

The fact that Nadal has never been witnessed breaking a racket on the tennis court is often brought up as a testament to this. Many of his colleagues and pundits often make a reference to it as well to bring attention to the kind of respect-worthy athlete the former World No. 1 is.

This does not, however, mean that Nadal never gets angry. In a 2009 interview with The Guardian, the Mallorcan admitted that he becomes angry a lot and that he becomes a "horrible" person to be around when he gets into the mad. At the same time, the southpaw emphasized that he stops himself from letting it out in public, instead retiring to his room in such situations to compose himself.

Regardless, Nadal maintained that it was impossible for anyone not to experience such emotions, meaning that it was far more important to have a good support system - like the one he had - to get through such moments.

"Sure, a lot of times. When I am not happy I am ­horrible, but I never shout on court. If I am angry I spend more time at the hotel in my room, or with Toni. If I am tired of everything. No one is perfect. Everybody does stupid things. But to have a good family and friends is the most important thing. I feel a lucky guy for everything," Rafael Nadal said.

---

"I think I was the same when I was No. 2 as I am now" - Rafael Nadal

2024 Brisbane International: Day 3

During the interview, Rafael Nadal also spoke about how he handled the media spotlight, stating that he did not think he was more famous at the time than he was two years ago. For context, the Spaniard was World No. 1 at the time, having overtaken Roger Federer the previous year.

Nadal also won the Wimbledon title in 2008 in an epic battle against Federer, one that is still celebrated today as one of the greatest matches men's tennis has ever seen. Nadal did concede that the clash and win in Wimbledon had made him a little more popular than he was in 2007, but not enough to change his attitude one way or the other.

"I have my team who all help me, but in the end it is all down to me. I think I was the same when I was No. 2 as I am now. I think I am not more famous than I was two years ago... Maybe winning Wimbledon has made a little bit of difference, yes?" Nadal said jokingly, via the aforementioned source.