Nadal: "For 30 years, the image I conveyed to the world wasn't always the one I felt inside".
Rafael Nadal is now retired and taking the opportunity to look back on his career. For The Players Tribune, he tells us more about his pre-match state of mind.
The Spaniard says: "For 30 years, the image I conveyed to the world wasn't always the one I felt inside.
Honestly, I was nervous before every match I played - it never leaves you.
Every night before a match, I went to bed with the feeling that I might lose, but also when I woke up in the morning.
In tennis, the difference between players is very small, and between rivals even smaller.
When you step onto the court, anything can happen, so all your senses have to be alert and alive.
That feeling, the inner fire and nerves, the adrenaline of going out and seeing a full court, it's a sensation that's very difficult to describe.
It's a feeling that only a few people can understand, and something that I'm sure will never be the same now that I'm retiring as a professional."
