Rafael Nadal claims he never lost motivation or passion for the sport like Naomi Osaka ahead of much-awaited comeback in Brisbane

Nadal shares a small glimpse of how he was close to choosing retirement after injury in 2023.

Rafael Nadal claims he never lost motivation or passion for the sport like Naomi Osaka ahead of much-awaited comeback in Brisbane

Rafael Nadal and Naomi Osaka (Via @The Tennis Letter/X)

The man of the moment Rafael Nadal has all eyes on him as he makes a comeback on the big stage after a year. Naomi Osaka is also another star player making a comeback this year. After a break from the sport due to personal reasons, the Japanese player returned to Brisbane to win her first match of the year. 

However, she had previously revealed that she contemplated retirement and Nadal was asked the same during his press meet at Brisbane. He replied with a thoughtful comparison of him and Osaka.

The Spaniard pointed out the most obvious difference, that he never stopped loving the sport and had to be out because of his body whereas it was the opposite for the Japanese who had previously said to lost interest and love for the sport and needed time to love it back. 

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I think Naomi & I are completely different situations. I think Naomi if I'm not wrong, she said that she lost a bit the love for the game for a while & the passion. Something that never happened to me. So the biggest difference. She gets tired or lost a bit of motivation for this game or for this thing. That never happened to me. I had to be away because my body was not able to keep going.
said Nadal at the Press meet when asked if he contemplated retirement during his time off tennis

In addition, the Spaniard also revealed that he did contemplate retirement during some low phases, given that time is catching up with his body. He admitted that he needs to put that much more effort into keeping the body in condition to compete at a professional level. 

Rafael Nadal reveals that his determination is what kept him working towards his comeback

It is common for any player to contemplate retirement during his time away from the sport, but it takes immense strength to make a comeback from an unimaginable position. Nadal is an example of how his determination pushed him to make a comeback as the Spaniard recalls his story during a press meet in Brisbane.

Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal (Via Rafael Nadal fans)

After an injury put him out of the game for almost a year, the Spaniard revealed that in that time, only his determination to know that things would work out in the end pushed him toward a healthy and speedy recovery. 

At 37 years old knowing that you will be back and you will not be healthy enough to compete that way you wanted to compete. Something that of course I was asking to myself, but at some point, I decided to keep going.

The 37-year-old now makes a grand return at the Brisbane International as a wildcard and is set to play against Dominic Thiem. With millions of people watching this match, they would have high hopes for the Spaniard to start his season with a bang. However, Rafa himself is unsure as to what to expect but is only looking forward to enjoying his return and is excited about what can happen on tour. 

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