One of the greatest tennis players of all time, Spaniard Rafael Nadal, who has won 22 Grand Slam titles, shared some of the toughest moments of his career in an interview with Marca. Nadal, who is set to feature in a new Netflix documentary, opened up about the physical and mental challenges he has faced throughout his career.

Chronic Pain and Medication

Nadal spoke about the constant pain he has endured and the medications he has taken to cope with it. He mentioned that he has had two perforations in his kidneys from taking so many anti-inflammatory drugs. Despite the potential risks, Nadal felt it was necessary to continue playing.

- There was a time when I lived with constant pain. There were many days when I would argue with my physiotherapist about whether I should take anti-inflammatory drugs or not. He was the one who would have them, and I would ask for them, and he would give them to me. And he was the one who would worry about it.

- Then one day I said, when you say there is a line between good and bad, well, now I am the one who decides when to take anti-inflammatory drugs, when not to, how much to take, or how much not to. And they practically didn't even notice. Simply because it was unpleasant to have to ask all day when I knew that the other person did not agree with it.

- But from my point of view, either it was that or I wouldn't play tennis. So, when I say there is a line between good and bad, it's because in the end, I know it's bad for my body. As I said, I have two perforations in my kidneys from taking so many anti-inflammatory drugs. But if it hadn't been for that, my career would have been completely different.

Mental Health Support

Nadal revealed for the first time that he sought help from a psychiatrist, a decision recommended by Carlos Moyá. He discussed an episode that lasted for a year in 2015, where he found it difficult to control his emotions and his situation on the tennis court.

- I believe the truth is that in 2015, I had an episode that lasted a year. It was hard to control what I had been controlling all my life. In the end, I always understood that I had to solve certain problems myself. So, at that moment, I realized that I could solve what was happening to me on the field. Because I never thought that what happens to you on the tennis court is important enough to warrant resorting to certain methods.

- But at a certain point, I couldn't control my emotions or the situation on the tennis court, and secondly, I had to walk around with a bottle of water when I was off the court because otherwise, I would choke on my own saliva. So, I said, okay, I have a problem, I need to see a professional. I visited a psychologist, and he gave me some medication.