Rafael Nadal is soaking up family time after bidding farewell to his legendary tennis career. The Spanish icon officially retired late last year, closing the curtain on his journey at the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga in 2024. Now, he’s embracing his next chapter alongside his wife, Maria Francisca Perello, and their son, Rafael Junior, who was born in October 2022. The little one isn’t just carrying his father’s name—he’s also mirroring his interests. According to Nadal, “He is experimenting with different sports: one day he plays football, another day he plays golf, another day he plays tennis. He’s having fun, he’s still a kid.” But there’s one particular way mini-Rafa is following in his father’s footsteps.
Nadal recently sat down with Andy Roddick for a chat on the ‘Served’ podcast on March 11. During their conversation, Roddick shared a story that perfectly captured how kids turn serious moments into comedy. Nadal, who has struggled with injuries for years, explained that after his final match at the Davis Cup, his foot was in pain for a month and a half. The former American tennis player recalled a story and said, “He told this story and he was so happy telling it that for a month, he was kind of like side stepping down the stairs and he would be like, ‘Oh, oh, oh,’ he’s like making all those sounds because his foot hurts. And then I guess he had to go out of town to do something and he called his wife, Maria, and she was laughing because their son without him there was side stepping down the stairs going, ‘Oh, ah, ah, ah,’ just imitating him because he thought that, ‘Oh, that, you know, if my dad, Rafa, Rafa Senior walks down the steps like that, I guess I have to do that all the time.’”
It’s a classic case of kids copying everything their parents do. But Nadal’s story isn’t just about a funny father-son moment. It’s also a glimpse into the pain he’s endured throughout his career. At just 18, Nadal was diagnosed with Müller-Weiss syndrome, a rare condition affecting a small bone in his left foot. Doctors told him he might have to retire before his career even started. But that wasn’t an option for him. Instead, he fought against the odds, reworked his game, and pushed his body past its limits.
But how did he deal with the pain and keep moving forward?
Rafael Nadal reveals how he kept ‘fighting’ despite injuries
Injuries have been a constant throughout Rafael Nadal’s career. It started with his foot, which forced him to wear customized shoes. Those, in turn, affected his movement, putting extra strain on his knees and back. Over the years, Nadal played 83 Grand Slams, missed 14 due to injuries, and won 22 out of the 69 he competed in. Even with setbacks, he never backed down.
So how did he keep going? Nadal himself explained it in the podcast. “I came back from injury, things are feeling well now, so let’s practice, let’s prepare. So, in some way, I forget quickly what happened. I was able to go on court, practice with the intensity that I needed, and then I think I recovered the physical intensity quite fast. The tennis level was not a big issue for me most of the time,” the 38-year-old tennis legend revealed.
That was the key—he learned to live with the pain. Elaborating, he said, “So you are able to live with that and go on court. You don’t feel, ‘Okay, maybe I have a limitation today,’ but most days, I don’t have that limitation. So you’re still believing, ‘Okay, I can keep fighting for the most important things.’”
But even the strongest warriors have to lay down their swords eventually. Nadal had flirted with the idea of extending his career into 2025. But the results were clear. After playing 16 matches on his favorite surface, clay, in 2024, his body wasn’t holding up, and winning big tournaments was no longer realistic. So the tennis icon called time on his career. Now, he’s embracing life beyond the court, enjoying time with his family, and watching his son imitate him in the most unexpected ways.
The post “I Have To Do That All the Time,” American ATP Pro Recounts Rafael Nadal’s Son Mimicking His Father’s Injuries appeared first on EssentiallySports.
