Richard Pagliaro | @tennis_now | Tuesday, April 22, 2025
Image source: Laureus World Sports Awards Facebook
Rafael Nadal He closed the curtains during his outstanding career in the Davis Cup last November.
The 22nd Grand Slam champion continues to receive honors.
King of Clay Nadal won the Sports Idol Award at the Lawres Sports Awards in Madrid on Monday.
This is Nadal's fifth laureus award, who met Q&A in Madrid.
Nadal shared that he would not miss tennis because he was happy with the achievements of the sport.
“I honestly don't miss it,” Nadal told the media in Madrid. “It's not because I ended up being tired or fighting tennis, not at all. I ended up being happy that tennis would make me happy for the rest of my life if I could keep playing.
“I've turned it off when you realize you can't close the stage. It took me time because I need time to be sure that the decision I made is right. I'm going to be really bad about the idea of sitting on the couch at home thinking I can play at home.”
Of course, Nadal is still involved in the sport, running his Rafa Nadal Academy every day in his native Mallorca.
The 38-year-old Spanish superstar said it relieved the pain by knowing that his body is no longer able to compete at the elite level.
“I decided to stop when I saw that my body wasn’t going to get back to the level I needed to continue to enjoy the way I needed to,” Nadal said. “I wouldn’t miss it because I ended up letting my body stop accepting it anymore.
“I followed tennis and I couldn’t see a lot of games, but I looked at those games that were interesting and I followed the results because I was passionate about sports.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H26S1Q-NCN8
In an exciting tribute, fans stood and shouted “Rafa! Rafa!” in the last singles match of the Davis Cup last November.
Separating can be painful.
Emotion exploded when Brotic Van de Zandschulp defeated his glorious career 6-4, 6-4.
A devout Davis Cup player who also won gold medals in singles and doubles for Spain, Nadal was asked if he would one day succeed in replacing his friend David Ferrer As the captain of Spain.
“I don't know, it's unpredictable. I'm passionate about sports, but you have to mark the way forward,” Nadal said. “I've recently completed a long road and I have to prepare for what's coming. I have a family and a team that have prepared what I like for the future and I don't know what will happen to this kind of thing.”
“Obviously, I could be a candidate for captain, but today I didn't have any. I'm not saying no, not at all, but I've always turned my attention to it for a few years.”
