Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal is among the all-time great tennis players now. The way he fought with injuries and still remains a top contender at the age of 36 years is incredible. The Spaniard turned pro in 2001 and the rest has been a journey that witnessed him becoming the legend he is today. Over the years, the 36-year-old has piled up records and won 22 Grand Slam titles. Earlier this year he clinched the Australian Open and followed it up with a French Open title that he won with a recurrent foot issue.

While it’s widely known that his uncle Toni Nadal played a crucial role in his development as a tennis player, the 22-time Grand Slam champion gives equal credit to his mother for the person he is today.

Nadal’s mother made many personal sacrifices

While Nadal was honing his tennis skills, it was his mother who took care of providing a stable home environment. As Nadal claims, she put her family as a priority over herself. Here’s what he wrote in his memoir.

“Maybe it is not the best thing for her, but she practically abandoned her own self. Leaving behind a perfume shop she owned-and sacrificed everything for us,” he wrote.

Further, the world number 3 credited his mother for everything he has achieved in his life.

“I sometimes think that she made too many personal sacrifices for us. But if her objective was that we should have the space and love necessary to thrive, it worked,” Nadal wrote.

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He further added,

“To underestimate the value of her role in everything that has come my way, to see her importance as less than Toni’s, for example, would be as blind as it would be unjust.”

Rafael Nadal returns to practice after missing the National Bank Open

Rafael Nadal sustained an abdominal tear in his quarterfinal clash against Taylor Fritz at Wimbledon. Consequently, he had to miss the rest of the tournament and was expected to recover in time for the National Bank Open in Canada. However, the 36-year-old experienced some discomfort and skipped the tournament after consulting his doctor.

However, there is some good news for Nadal fans. The 22-time Grand Slam champion has returned to the court for practice.

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Nadal is hoping to regain full fitness before the US Open. There’s no update on his participation in the Cincinnati Masters tournament that is slated to begin next week.