Rafael Nadal pens letter following tennis retirement; 'I went through a very difficult moment, mentally, a few years ago'

Rafael Nadal is saying goodbye to his life's work. The athlete recently retired after participating in the Davis Cup, and shared an emotional letter where he discussed some of the things he's learned with tennis and some of the highs and lows of his unparalleled career.

Nadal's letter was published in English and Spanish in The Players' Tribune. He starts by recounting the memory of a tennis loss when he was 12 years old, and how the advice he received from his uncle shaped him for years to come. 

"When I was young, I learned a lesson that still sticks in my life," he wrote, sharing that he's always loved the sea and fishing. "One day, I went out fishing when I could have been training. The next day, I lost my match."

He shared that he was crying. "It’s OK, it’s just a tennis match," said his uncle. "Don’t cry now, there is no point. If you want to fish, you can fish. No problem. But you will lose. If you want to win? If you want to win, then you have to do what you have to do first.” 

Nadal revealed that the lesson is one that he chased throughout his career, which is why many labeled him as a perfectionist. "The voice has never left me. One day, I can be at the sea. Today, and tomorrow… I have to practice," he wrote.

Nadal struggled with various ailments throughout his career

He revealed that he struggled with many issues throughout his career, from physical to mental. In recent years, he revealed that he had trouble remaining calm in some matches and that he was disturbed by anxiety. 

"I went through a very difficult moment, mentally, a few years ago. Physical pain I was very used to, but there were times on the court when I had trouble controlling my breathing, and I couldn’t play at the highest level," he said. 

"Thankfully, I didn’t get to the point of not being able to control things like anxiety, but there are moments with every player when it’s difficult to control your mind, and when that happens it’s difficult to have total control of your game." 

The letter paints him as a real person and not the icon that many think of when hearing the name Rafael Nadal. And while it's sincere about the struggles he faced throughout his career, it also marks a hopeful beginning for Nadal, who's embarking on a new stage in his life.

"For more than 30 years, I have given everything I can to this game. In return, I received joy and happiness," he wrote.