Rafael Nadal tried his all to get back to tennis while struggling with injuries but in the end, his age proved a hindrance on his path to recovery. Nadal had always battled injuries since he turned pro and in spite of that, he had a glorious career, lifting many majors and gold medals at the Olympics.

His perseverance, and resilience along with his humility inspired generations of tennis players and these were some of the qualities his uncle Toni Nadal liked. Toni, who played a massive role in his nephew’s career, reflected on the 22-time Grand Slam champion’s legacy and explained what people appreciated the most.

Nadal played his last match at the Davis Cup. He played the first match of the quarterfinal tie against Botic van de Zandschulp and lost it in straight sets. Spain then got knocked out of the tournament 2-1 after their defeat in doubles decider.

Rafael Nadal hasn’t yet talked about what he will be doing next, but the transition period for any sportsperson is difficult, for their routines completely change, and there will not be training and tournaments to think about. Now that Nadal has embarked on a new chapter, Toni Nadal believes whatever the 38-year-old plans to do, he will do it with great passion.

Under Toni, Nadal won 16 of his 22 majors. He knew about the former World No.1’s retirement a few months before the latter announced it on his social media.

Nadal’s last major title was his 14th French Open trophy he won in 2022. This season he failed to win any, reaching just one final, at the Swedish Open.