Following an emotional tribute on Court Philippe Chatrier, Rafael Nadal spent nearly an hour with the media. When asked about his son Rafa Junior and the idea of him becoming a professional athlete, Rafa gave a heartfelt and revealing response.
Q. Congratulations on the ceremony. You know more than most people the sacrifices to get to the very top of the sport and to stay there for that long and all the things you have to give up to be a professional sportsman. Would you like it if your son were to be a tennis player or a professional sportsman of any kind?
Rafael Nadal: If my son lives the tennis career the way that I lived, of course, yes, because as you mentioned about sacrifices, I never had that feeling. I never had the feeling that I did a lot of sacrifices. I never had the feeling that I lost a part of my life to become professional.
I never lost, in a way, things on when I was a youngster because of tennis. I just was not able to do all the things that my friends were doing every weekend, but I was able to do all the things, and I did it. And at the same time, when you are doing what you want to do, you are not doing sacrifices. You work hard, of course. You push as much as you can. But you do what you want to do.
So let’s say if my son feel that way, I will support him. I don’t think it’s gonna be the case, but I will support him on anything that he wants to do. But most important thing, from my point of view, is when you do something, you don’t have to feel that because you are doing that you are losing a lot of things, because if not, you start from a wrong perspective.
But in some way, that I think is a very positive learning, because at the end, it’s about self-control, it’s about learn how you deal with sometimes tough situations, sometimes with moments of frustration. But at the same time, you have to come here and be respectful for everyone.
Q. Did you have to explain to your son what you’ve been doing, how you earned it, and do you have the intention to do it?
Rafael Nadal: Well, to be honest, I have no illusion that they understand it or even know it, although obviously they will know, but I won’t be the one to explain it to them. I’m not that kind of father or person, honestly. I’m not someone who usually talks much about myself, about what I have achieved or what I haven’t achieved. I always came back home and tried to act normally, and much less to make my son believe that his father was some kind of phenomenon, right? I always tell you that I’m a potato — that’s the reality — in every attempt, don’t see me at all as someone who has been somebody. Because really, I don’t consider myself as such. I have been an athlete, I would say an important one, for things that have been achieved like the 14 Roland-Garros here, obviously there’s no need to be humble about that, numbers are numbers, but beyond that, I have no interest in even being seen as such.