Spanish tennis legend opens up about his emotional and heartbreaking journey after being diagnosed with Muller-Weiss syndrome in his early career.
According to Sportskeeda, the 22-time Grand Slam winner who recently took retirement from his international tennis career in the Davis Cup Finals revealed that he spent many days crying after he learnt about the seriousness of his foot injury.
Speaking to The Players’ Tribune recently, he said, “I got hurt when I was 17, and I was told I would probably never play professional tennis again. I learnt that things can end in an instant. It's not just a tiny crack in my foot, it's a disease. There's no cure, only management. Mueller-Weiss syndrome.”
“What does that even mean? You go from the greatest joy to waking up the next morning not being able to walk. I spent many days at home crying, but it was a great lesson in humility, and I was lucky to have a father, the real influence I've had in my life, who was always so positive. ‘We will find a solution,’ he further added.
The 38-year-old also expressed gratitude that “after a lot of pain and surgeries and rehabilitation and tears,” he was able to fight through it.
Furthermore, Nadal is all set to make his first tennis appearance after retirement at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, scheduled from December 18 to 22, 2024.
