Nadal opens up about painful battle with career-threatening foot injury

Rafael Nadal, a titan of tennis and one of the sport's 'Big Three,' endured a career defined by a painful, chronic foot injury. The 22-time Grand Slam champion revealed the immense risks he took with his health, pushing his body to its limits to maintain his pursuit of greatness.

"I've had to make decisions about my health, where you are on the borderline between right or wrong," Nadal told the BBC in a recent interview. "But if I hadn't explored all that, I probably would have had 10 fewer Grand Slams... this is the reality."

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I've had to make decisions about my health, where you are on the borderline between right or wrong. But if I hadn't explored all that, I probably would have had 10 fewer Grand Slams... this is the reality.

Diagnosed with the rare Mueller-Weiss syndrome after breaking his foot in 2005, the injury became a constant shadow. Despite the condition, which stemmed from intensive childhood training, Nadal refused to abandon his passion. He continued to compete, winning 13 more Grand Slams over the next nine years, achieving the remarkable feat of winning at least one major title annually.

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Tennis became a race against time. Always having the doubt in my head of, how long can I last with this foot? I never knew how long my career would last. I always thought, maybe it's the last year, so there's no time to stop.

Nadal described his career as a relentless "race against time," perpetually wondering how long his injured foot would hold up. "I always thought, maybe it's the last year, so there's no time to stop," he said. The physical toll extended beyond his foot, causing tendinitis in his knee and intestinal issues due to painkiller use. He often relied on targeted anesthetic injections, even playing the final of the 2022 French Open, his last Grand Slam victory, with no feeling in his leg.

"The key was the suffering was less than my passion and my happiness for what I was doing," the 39-year-old reflected, underscoring the profound dedication that fueled his legendary career despite immense physical adversity.

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The key was the suffering was less than my passion and my happiness for what I was doing.