With just a month to go until the start of Roland Garros—where he claimed a record 14 titles—Rafael Nadal, now retired, was honored as a Sports Icon at the 2025 Laureus World Sports Awards in Madrid.
During the ceremony, the Spanish legend was asked whether he missed tennis, prompting an answer that many found unexpected but a testament to the depth of his decision to walk away from the sport.
“I don’t miss it at all, but not because I’m tired of it,” Nadal explained. “I finished my career happy, and if I could have, I would have continued because I loved what I did. It was my passion, and that’s been my life. But when you realize that physically, you can’t do it anymore, you try to close that chapter. And I’ve closed it”.
Nadal reflected on the moment he knew it was time to retire, acknowledging he had nothing more to prove to himself or others. “I gave everything for tennis, and that’s why I don’t miss it. It took me a long time to make the final decision because I needed time to be sure it was the right one,” he added.
Rafael Nadal waves to fans following his retirement speech following the quarterfinal tie between Netherlands and Spain. (Matt McNulty/Getty Images for ITF)
He concluded, “When I saw my body wasn’t recovering at the level I needed to continue enjoying the game, I decided to stop. That’s why I don’t miss it—because I ended with the peace of knowing I gave everything and that my body could give no more“.
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What was Nadal’s last Roland Garros title?
Rafael Nadal’s last Roland Garros title came in 2022, where he delivered a commanding performance in the final against Norway’s Casper Ruud. Nadal clinched the victory in three sets, 6-3, 6-3, 6-0. On his way to that title, he also defeated Jordan Thompson, Corentin Moutet, Botic Van de Zandschulp, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Novak Djokovic, and Alexander Zverev.
When did Nadal last compete at Roland Garros?
The final time Rafael Nadal competed at Roland Garros was in 2024, when, severely hampered by injuries, he suffered a tough first-round exit to Alexander Zverev. The match ended in three sets: 6-3, 7-6, 6-3.
