Rafael Nadal: The 22-time Grand Slam singles champion discusses his injury struggles in a new Netflix documentary.

Rafael Nadal’s match was one of the greatest tennis performances of all time. He spent almost all of it in pain.

In the year Since winning his first French Open in 2005 and retiring in 2024, the Spaniard has won 22 Grand Slam singles titles – the second most of any man.

He was part of the ‘Big Three’ era where he, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic created the sport’s biggest prizes and delighted their fans.

But a chronic foot injury meant Nadal had to find different ways to win matches, let alone win them.

In the new Netflix series, the 39-year-old talks about the risks he took with his health to achieve greatness.

“I had to make a decision about my health, you’re on the border between right and wrong,” Nadal said.

“But if I hadn’t played all that, I probably would have had 10 less Grand Slams. I’m not saying one or two, I’m saying 10 or 12. That’s the reality.”

In the year In 2005, the long-haired, muscular teenage sensation announced himself to the world by winning the French Open at his first attempt, defeating world number one Roger Federer in the semifinals on his 19th birthday.

He won 11 singles titles that season, ranking second in the world.

However, it was the year when Nadal’s injury struggles really began.

After breaking his left leg during his Madrid Open final, Nadal was diagnosed with a rare degenerative condition. Müller-Weiss syndrome., External

Speaking to the BBC World Service’s Sporting Witness programme, Nadal said the foot injury was “the root of all my problems”.

“I had to be super positive, super determined, always ready to be competitive and find a way to get back on the court,” he said.

“I’ve been through a couple of periods in my career, a long injury process, but I think I’m ready to accept that moment, deal with disappointment and work with hope and enthusiasm.

“The key was that the pain was less than my desire and the joy of doing it.”