by Rafael Nadal insisted on Monday that he was not “Miss Tennis” after he was honored with a Sport -icon Prize at the Laureus World Sport Awards in Madrid.
The 38-year-old Spaniard, winner of 22 Grand Slam Trophies, including 14 in Roland Garros, withdrew from sport after his last game at the Davis Cup in Malaga in November.
“The truth is that I don’t miss tennis. Zero. I don’t miss it at all,” Nadal told reporters.
“But not because I fought tennis tired or tennis, not at all.
“I ended my career happily and if I could have done it, I would have continued because I loved what I did.
“It was my passion and that was the case all my life. It’s just that you can no longer do it physically … you try to close this chapter. And I have closed it.”
Nadal suffered numerous injuries during his career, but opposed retirement as long as possible.
“I delayed myself to make my final decision because it took me time to make sure it was the right one.
“What would have been hard was to sit on my sofa and ask me if I should continue to play.
“When I saw that my body would not recover to the level that I had to have to enjoy myself at the farm, then I made the decision to stop.
“That’s why I don’t miss it,” added Nadal. “Because I was ready to know with the peace of mind that I gave everything and that my body could no longer give.”
ATI/BSP/BB
