Rafael Nadal Makes Bold Admission Ahead Of Potential Record-Setting Season Start

Rafeal Nadal is having one of the best seasons of his illustrious career this year.

The Spaniard started the year with a bang, having already copped three trophies to date.

Heading into the Indian Wells Masters 1000, Nadal talked about how he approaches the game now that he’s not getting any younger.

According to the 35-year-old, having the right mentality is a basic requirement for athletes of all ages.

More importantly, Nadal emphasized that one should learn to give it all he got even when he knows he’s not in his 100%.

"Athletes are normal people,” Nadal said in a press conference organized by Cantabria Labs via Tennis World USA. “ There are days when even for us it is difficult to go to work. Normally if you win and have continuity in the results, it is because you have the right attitude during training.”

“There are days when you can give 100%,” he continued. “Others when you can give 60 or 30%. The important thing is that, on a day when you can give a maximum of 60%, you give all that 60, not 20 just because things aren't perfect. It is important to live with the imperfection of things."

Nadal is already considered as arguably the greatest to ever do it in his sport. However, he went on to explain that humility is an important trait athletes should maintain, especially during times of “failures.”

“This is the best way to accept and overcome challenges, mistakes and failures,” the 91-time ATP winner pointed out. “Many people take failures too seriously. But when you do your best to achieve a goal, even if you lose, you won't have failed. You just have to work more to reach the goal at the next opportunity.”

“We must have the humility to accept that things do not always go well, in order to be able to tolerate difficulties in the best possible way and look ahead with the right perspective,” he added. “I have always treated success and failure equally; this allowed me to continue playing tennis."

Nadal welcomed the 2022 season by winning the Melbourne Summer Set.

He then followed it up by earning his 21st career Grand Slam at the Australian Open, breaking the record for most Grand Slam titles for a single player in the Open Era.

Nadal also recently copped his fourth Mexican Open title.

As things stand, Nadal is just three wins away from moving up to third place on the list of the longest unbeaten start to a season in the Open era.