Nadal on his foot disease: "I spent many days crying at home".

Now retired, Rafael Nadal can rest and take it easy on his body. He talked about Müller-Weiss syndrome, the foot disease he suffers from.

Nadal told The Players Tribune: "I was injured when I was 17 and told I'd probably never play professional tennis again.

I realized that it could all be over in an instant. It's not just a little crack in the foot, it's a disease.

From the greatest joy to waking up the next morning and not being able to walk.

I spent many days crying at home, but it was a great lesson in humility and I was lucky to have such a positive father.

"We'll find a way," he declared. "And if we don't find it, then there's more to life than tennis."

Hearing those words, I could barely digest them at the time, but thank God, after much suffering, operations, rehab and tears, a solution was found, and all these years I've been able to overcome it."