Rafael Nadal has named the “only positive” that has come from his string of injuries during his playing career.

The Spaniard won a remarkable 22 Grand Slams, reached No 1 in the world, claimed a gold medal at the Olympics in both singles and doubles, and earned the moniker ‘The King of Clay’ as he dominated the red dirt surface in unprecedented ways.

However, the 40-year-old was struck down by severe knee tendinitis, iliopsoas tears in his hip, abdominal tears, rib fractures, and a congenital foot injury that nearly ended his career as a teenager.

The wear and tear of more than 20 years on the ATP Tour eventually took its toll, and Nadal was forced to retire at the age of 38 in 2024 following another hip injury.

Despite that, the all-time great doesn’t have many regrets. He told The Athletic, “For me every moment was … I always had not the fear but knew that it could be my last year on tour.

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“The only positive thing I’ve taken from all the injuries was that I was able to enjoy more and put more value on the great moments. But I lived all my tennis career with pain — on a daily basis, I had too much pain.”

The report adds that Nadal believes he either missed or was in no fit state to challenge at 20 majors throughout his career.

And for everything that the sport has given him, the Spanish star doesn’t particularly miss being a pro athlete. But those adrenaline highs you get on the tennis court are difficult to replicate off it.

“I loved playing tennis,” he said. “But I’m not missing much because I decided to retire at completely the right moment. I had nothing else to give. My body was over, to be honest.

“I played with too many limitations, so that’s it. That allowed me to finish in peace. There are plenty of things that are more important than tennis or sport. But the adrenaline and this special feeling that sport brings to you, it’s something difficult to find outside.”