Tennis icon Rafael Nadal said on Monday that he doesn’t ‘miss tennis at all’ after being honoured with a Sporting Icon award at the Laureus World Sport Awards in Madrid.
The 38-year-old Spaniard, winner of 22 Grand Slam trophies, including 14 at Roland Garros, retired from the sport after his final match at the Davis Cup in Malaga in November. ALSO READ: Emotional Rafa Nadal retires from professional tennis, leaving ‘sporting & personal legacy’.
‘The truth is that I don’t miss tennis. Zero. I don’t miss it at all,’ Nadal told reporters. ‘But not because I finished tired of tennis or fighting against tennis, not at all.’
‘I finished my career happy and if I could have, I would have carried on, because I loved what I was doing,’ he explained. ‘It was my passion and that’s been the case all my life. It’s just that when you realise that physically you can’t do it any more … you try to close that chapter. And I closed it.’
Nadal suffered numerous injuries during his career but resisted retiring as long as possible.
‘I delayed making my final decision because I needed time to be sure it was the right one. What would have been hard was sitting on my sofa wondering if I should keep trying to play,’ he said.
‘When I saw that my body wasn’t going to recover to the level I needed to continue enjoying myself on court, then I made the decision to stop.’
‘That’s why I don’t miss it,’ he said. ‘Because I finished with the peace of mind of knowing that I’d given it my all, and that my body couldn’t give any more.’
For the second year in a row, the Spanish capital hosted the Laureus World Sports Awards, an annual award ceremony honouring individuals and teams from the world of sports along with sporting achievements throughout the year.
Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis and American gymnast Simone Biles shared the top honours. Another gymnast, Rebeca Andrade, won the Comeback of the Year award after winning gold in the floor at the Paris Games.
Barcelona’s Spanish football prodigy Lamine Yamal won the Breakthrough of the Year award, while Real Madrid took the team award.
Simone Biles said she remained uncertain about whether she would compete at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The 28-year-old, a seven-time Olympic champion, won three gold medals in Paris last year, making a thrilling return to the Olympic stage after a long mental health break.
‘I’m really enjoying my time off before I decide if I want to go back to the gym and compete,’ she said at Monday’s ceremony.
‘A lot of people think it’s just a one-year commitment but it truly is the four years leading up to the Olympics,’ she explained.
‘It’s in LA, it’s back in the States, which is so exciting. But if I’m going to compete again, I’m not so sure. But I will be at the Olympics, whether it’s on the floor or in the stands.’
Thank you @LaureusSport for a very special recognition. It has been a unique night in Madrid surrounded by great athletes and sports icons.
— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) April 21, 2025
Congratulations to all the winners! 👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/mGnIvuAS0C
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