Rafael Nadal has announced he will retire from playing professional tennis at the end of the year and – aged 38 – will hang up his racket after next month’s Davis Cup.
But while he might miss the game he has enjoyed record-breaking success in, he may be glad to see the back of press conferences.
The Spaniard has won 22 grand slams, including an incredible 14 French Open titles, and is set to retire as one of the greatest singles players in the men’s game.
Nadal has won fans across the world, with his flair and aggressive playing style making many a highlight reel.
But with hundreds of games played means he has been asked many, many questions by the world’s media – and has not always been in the mood to humour a reporter’s nonsense.
Here are some of Nadal’s greatest hits, off the court and in the press room.
“I think it’s a joke”
Nadal has generally had a good relationship with the press – but occasionally frosty questions have led him to hit back or, in this case, reduced him to laughter.
At the US Open in 2022, a reporter asked if umpires were not enforcing a rule that means he has to serve within 25 seconds and if this was a “stain on his legacy”.
“I think it’s a joke,” a laughing Nadal replied. “I have never smashed rackets or made a mess on court, but I have a problem that I am sweating a lot and when it’s a timed thing… we don’t have the ball boys coming to you so you have to go to the far end of the court to get a towel.”
“Not interesting today”
Nadal was in a more playful mood at the Australian Open in 2019 when he ribbed a journalist who had apparently rested her eyes before answering a question.
“I know you closed your eyes to be more focused on what I was saying,” Nadal told the snoozing reporter.
“It’s not interesting today,” he added.
“Honestly, are you asking me this?”
Nadal was irate that he was asked if he was losing concentration on tennis because he had recently got married.
“Honestly, are you asking me this?” he shot back, adding he had been with the same partner for many years. “I am surprised you are asking this after being with the same girl 15 years.”
“We can’t predict the future”
At Wimbledon in 2019, Nadal was asked if his game – a straightforward victory – should have had lesser billing than that of women’s world number one, Ash Barty.
Nadal had been given the Centre Court and Barty had been knocked out on a lesser court.
“She is the world number one,” the journalist probed.
“I am the world number two and I have won 18 grand slams,” said Nadal in return. “We cannot predict the future… they make a decision, my feeling is that I am a little more than Ashley Barty. At the end of the day they have to make a decision, both decisions are good.”
“I don’t want to look like I want to be his boyfriend”
Nadal had a curt and cutting answer when a reporter dared to ask what he appreciated most about Roger Federer as a player and “as a man off the court”.
“I don’t want to look like I want to be his boyfriend,” responded Nadal as the US Open press room descended into laughter in 2017.
Graciously, Nadal did then list his favourite qualities of Federer, his long time rival.
