Nadal: "I never thought I was Superman".
Rafael Nadal has not been a professional tennis player since November.
The Spanish legend put away his rackets for good after taking part in the Davis Cup Final 8 in Malaga.
For The Players Tribute, Nadal, 38, talked about the legacy he hopes to leave in his career.
"Most of the time, you don't win the tournament you play in. No matter who you are, most of the time you lose.
Real life is the same. You learn to live with the moments of joy and the moments of pain, and you try to deal with them in the same way.
In the good times, I never thought I was Superman, and in the bad times, I never thought I was a failure.
What makes you grow as a person is life itself. The failures, the nerves, the pain, the joy, the process of waking up every day and trying to be a little better at achieving your goals," he elaborated.
"I hope my legacy remains as what I've always tried to do with others. Respect. That was my parents' golden rule.
When I was a child, my father always told me: 'Inventing is difficult. Copying others is much easier. He wasn't talking about tennis. He was talking about life.
Look around you and observe the people you admire. How they treat people. What you like about them.
Act like them and you'll probably live a happy life. I've learned this lesson, and it's been with me every game I've played.
I wasn't driven by hatred of my rivals, but rather by a deep respect and admiration for them.
I just tried to wake up every morning and feel a little better so I could keep up with them. It didn't always work! But I always tried...
In return, I received joy, happiness, love and friendship, and much more," concludes Nadal.
