Apart from his stunning moves on clay and the 14 Roland Garros titles, Rafael Nadal was known for much more. The King of Clay wasn’t just loved for his humility but also for those quirky routines that felt unmistakably “Rafa.” The rituals that fans knew by heart: the bottles, hair, shorts, and the towel, all placed in perfect order. Every match felt like a rhythm only he could play. But the Spaniard has a surprising confession to make.

“I’m not a very superstitious person,” Nadal admitted on Movistar+’s Universo Valdano. “Outside of tennis, I don’t have any routines or rituals. All of that stayed on the court and during competitions. I needed it.” He opened up about those famous habits, the ones fans and rivals knew by heart. The Majorcan even confessed he tried to curb them after seeing himself on TV.

“I wasn’t as disciplined at the beginning of my career,” he explained. “Tennis is demanding and eats away at you from the inside. You go out onto the court every day knowing that in the evening, you might go home. You have to find routines that you feel comfortable with, that make you feel safe, and that help you not lose sight of what you’re doing, to isolate yourself from everything else. I tried to reduce them because when I saw myself on television, I didn’t like what I saw, but they didn’t harm me.”

What were Nadal’s rituals? Picture this. Before every match, he plants his energy drink just ahead of his water bottle, labels perfectly court-facing. At changeovers, he lines up those two bottles dead straight. That’s not all!

Before serving, he tucks his hair behind his ear and adjusts his shorts. After every point, towel duty hits, sweat or not. Fans and foes accused him of distractions. But Nadal previously spilled the real reason behind it all.

In his 2011 autobiography Rafa, he set the record straight: “I put my two bottles down at my feet, in front of my chair to my left, one neatly behind the other, diagonally aimed at the court. Some call it superstition, but it’s not. If it were superstition, why would I keep doing the same thing over and over, whether I win or lose?” These moves locked him into pure tennis warrior mode.

This isn’t his first time debunking superstition talk. He always owned these as mindset fuel, no magic involved. Earlier, Rafael Nadal revealed his pre-match chill: a freezing cold shower about 45 minutes out flips a switch. He steps into a “new space” where power and grit surge, ready to dominate.

Today, he reiterates the same sentiment: “They gave me the feeling that I could be 100% focused on what I was doing. They allowed me to stay focused on the present moment.”

Rafael hasn’t stepped onto a competitive court since the 2024 Davis Cup in November last year. But earlier this week, he made a quiet return to the practice courts with a former student and rising WTA pro, Alexandra Eala. The two hit together at his academy, a scene that had fans buzzing again. It wasn’t a comeback match, but the sight of him back on court was enough to stir anticipation.

Will Rafael Nadal set foot back on the tennis court?

During the Spanish legend’s chat with Jorge Valdano on Movistar+’s Universo Valdano, he opened up about life after tennis with a dose of honesty. Rafa confessed that when it was finally over, he had nothing left to give. “I reached the finish line completely spent, with nothing left in the tank,” he admitted, reflecting on how hard the journey had been.

These days, Rafael Nadal still hits a few balls now and then. “I played 45 minutes with Eala, they asked me to play and I was delighted. If I don’t have to run, fine,” he laughed. He stays close to the game through his academy but no longer lives and breathes tennis the way he once did. “Through the academy I’m still involved and I see what I want to see. I don’t follow the day to day as before. Now I watch the games or moments I want to see.”

Still, there’s one thing even time can’t replace. The thrill of competition. “The adrenaline of tennis is irreplaceable,” Nadal admitted. “What is found in sport is difficult to find elsewhere.” Few would argue. After 1,308 matches, 1,080 wins, and 16 majors missed because of injuries, every drop of that adrenaline was well-earned. His final appearance came at the Davis Cup in Málaga, closing a career that began in 2001 when he was only 15.

Meanwhile, Roger Federer has been thinking about bringing that magic back. At least for a good cause. Speaking to Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger, he said the idea of an exhibition tour with Nadal sounds tempting.

“It would be great if that could be done,” Roger said. “If we played exhibitions after our careers, we would have more time and wouldn’t have to rush to the next competition. I could imagine combining all of that with a good cause, raising funds for my foundation and inspiring young people there.”

The thought of a Federer-Nadal reunion still gets fans buzzing. Federer even brought it up again during the Laver Cup, saying he “loves Rafa” and would love to tour together. The idea has been floating around for a while, but could it really happen soon?