Original subtitles

[Rafelet babbling]

[indistinct chatter]

[María laughing]

[María] Oh…

- It's over. - [Rafelet] Papa!

[Benito] Say, "Dad, I think Mom's leaving."

Come here, come on.

- Papa. - [Benito] Go to Dad, go.

Papa!

Aye! Aye! Aye!

[peaceful music playing]

- [Rafa] Bye, Rafelet! Bye-bye. - [Benito] Say, "You got this."

- [Mwah] - [María] Yay!

[commentator] Everything's been sold out for days, almost a week.

That's because no one wants to miss not just a Rafa Nadal match,

but seeing Rafa Nadal in person.

[Marc] Lots of people today.

[fans shouting] Rafa! Rafa!

[interviewer] What'd you like to see happen in Madrid

in your comeback process and preparation for Roland-Garros?

[Rafa] For me, Roland-Garros is

the most important tournament of my tennis career.

So, the next couple of weeks are so important to…

to see if that's a real possibility or not.

[indistinct chatter]

- [Moyá] Stay positive. - Yeah.

It's impossible to go from 0 just sitting to suddenly 100.

But you're getting there. It's possible.

[music fades]

[Marc] This guy… he doesn't know what's coming.

[toilet flushes]

[indistinct chatter]

- [door closes] - [toilet flushes]

[Marc] How many times is he gonna pee?

[Maymó] I don't know if it's nerves or what.

[toilet flushes]

- [Rafa] The toilet's outta water. - [all laugh]

Come on, man. Let's go.

[inspirational music playing]

[commentator] Rafa trained this morning, getting ready for a complicated match.

[commentator 2] He faces Alex de Miñaur, number 11 in the world.

[commentator 3] What chance do we give Rafa today?

[commentator 4] I think a low percentage chance.

If you're Nadal, in the back of your mind,

you're scared that you might just re-injure yourself.

[shutters clicking]

[Rafa] I ended up giving my life

to one of the most individual sports that exists.

A sport that creates pressure and stress.

You feel nervous. The nerves are real.

That's why, throughout my career,

my routines helped me a lot to cope with all that.

[crowd cheering]

[Rafa] It was usually…

pants…

this, this, this, this, this, this,

this, this, this…

and this.

During the game, I would avoid stepping on the lines.

And on clay courts,

I'd sweep the lines at the beginning of each game

and, then, at break points.

It was a way to shut myself off from everything around me.

[fan] Come on, Rafa!

[Rafa] I'm in control when I do them.

[inspirational music builds]

[commentator 5] A win today could make the tennis world take note.

Come on!

[commentator 5] Rafa is here to seriously play.

[commentator 6] This is vintage stuff.

[commentator 7] Fabulous ball striking from Nadal.

[Rafa] To have that feeling you get by competing at the highest level.

[commentator 6] It's the same amount of potency as we're used to seeing.

[Rafa] To have the confidence that I'm going to win.

That feeling in your stomach.

[commentator 7] Nadal, a game away.

[Rafa] You wonder, "How long can I hold on to this feeling?"

[umpire] Game, set, and match, Nadal.

[commentator 7] It's an enormous win for Rafael Nadal's 2024 campaign.

[Rafa] Because you know this feeling won't last forever.

[fans chanting] Rafa! Rafa! Rafa!

Rafa!

[cheering in distance]

- [Rafelet squeals] - [man in Spanish] Let's go! Very good!

[distant screaming]

[indistinct chatter]

[Marc in English] The bulldozer is back.

[laughter]

[Marc] I hadn't seen you play like that in a long time, man.

Seriously.

[Carlos] Anyway, you played really well today.

You used to run a lot more.

- [Rafa] If you say so. - [Carlos] I'm not saying it, I saw it.

[Maymó] It's good to do a little.

You didn't strain yourself much, but still.

[Rafa] Okay, but I feel fine.

[Maymó] Okay, but do at least five minutes, just five.

While you drink that.

[light instrumental music playing]

[Moyá] Being here and seeing him competitive and happy,

for me, is a win.

He needs that confidence because…

everything depends on him believing that he can win.

[distant applause]

[announcer] …his opponent, from Spain,

Rafael Nadal!

[crowd cheering]

[commentator] So much at stake here.

Federer, desperate.

Having lost to Nadal last year on clay, lost to him on grass,

now he certainly doesn't want to lose to him on hard courts.

[tense music playing]

It was one of the greatest matches we played against each other.

[commentator] Federer's gotta be thinking,

"What do I have to do to put this guy away?"

[Roger] Rafa was

just at the absolute peak.

Come on!

[commentator 1] Rafael Nadal wins in Melbourne

at the Australian Open, for the first time.

[commentator 2] Rafa Nadal is the new number 1 in the world.

The Federer era is over.

[dynamic martial music playing]

[commentator 3] He does things on the court that nobody else could do.

[commentator 4] The new champion, Rafael Nadal!

[announcer] The invincible man, Rafa Nadal!

[Wertheim] 2010 is, in some ways, prime Rafa.

He wins at Roland-Garros.

Ends up winning his second Wimbledon.

And I remember the discussion shifts.

We were all seduced by Roger Federer, but…

"Holy shit! Maybe this is the greatest player that ever lived."

[dynamic upbeat music playing]

[commentator 1] Rafael Nadal is the top-ranked tennis player in the world.

He's in New York for the US Open,

the only major tournament Nadal hasn't won.

[Rafa] Pressure.

That's what I felt.

Because, by winning the US Open,

I would have won all four Grand Slams.

For a tennis player,

winning all four Slams is something

that very few people have done.

[commentator 2] Tennis fans around the world hoping it will be

this man and Roger Federer.

Everybody around the world is… wants that final so badly.

[music fades]

[commentator 1] Live from the men's championship,

world number 1, Rafa Nadal,

against number 3 seed, Novak Djokovic.

[foreboding music playing]

[Novak] Rafa and Roger in the finals.

That was the scenario everybody wants to see.

But I didn't care. Actually…

I did care to not allow that to happen.

[cheering]

[commentator 2] Now, of course, with Novak Djokovic as well, in the mix.

[soft battle music playing]

[Rafa] At that moment,

I saw the danger that not only Roger was fighting for number 1.

But Novak was also coming in.

[crowd cheering]

[Clarey] Nadal and Novak, they had a history.

They had played for the first time on tour at the French Open, 2006.

Novak made his first big run at a major.

But he hadn't done much until then.

And he ended up losing the first two sets to Rafa, 6-4, 6-4.

Then he retired citing a back injury.

[umpire] Game, set, and match, Nadal.

Even though he's the best and everybody thinks he's unbeatable,

I say he's not unbeatable, he's beatable.

Are you kidding me?

Djokovic, do you need some smelling salts?

It was a heavyweight versus a middleweight.

You were being pushed back.

It felt like Rafa and Roger were crafted by the tennis gods.

And so I had to fight for my place under the sun.

[crowd cheering]

Djokovic is totally different in character from Roger and Rafa.

I mean, he was someone who was constantly making jokes.

He was doing these imitations of players, including Rafa.

[crowd laughing, applauding]

[Rafa] He wasn't a shy person.

It really didn't… bother me.

No.

Although, it…

[blows air]

I don't remember very well if it bothered me.

Not much. Surely, not much.

[commentator] Rafa Nadal. So much at stake for this 24-year-old Spaniard.

[expectant music playing]

[commentator] Wow!

Djokovic would've won this point against anyone else.

[Toni] When you looked at Djokovic,

you could tell he was confident because he was playing really well.

That could be a big problem.

[commentator 2] Djokovic, with all this effort,

it's even now more incredible what Nadal's pulling off.

[cheering erupts]

[commentator 3] His career slam is grand.

Rafael Nadal!

The final jewel in his crown.

[dynamic upbeat music playing]

[presenter] Please welcome US Open Men's Champion,

Rafael Nadal!

[Rafa] After winning the US Open,

it was a bit of a media frenzy.

[shutters clicking]

[fan] Rafa, I love you!

[Rafa] But I've never liked

being the center of attention.

[David Letterman] Please welcome Rafael Nadal.

[applause]

I remember a lot of media telling me, "He's gonna love to do this." Well…

I would say, in a very polite way,

"No, that's not the right word."

I have no idea what this is.

[audience laughs]

[Letterman] Looks like you in your underpants.

[Benito] He knew it was part of his job,

but, yeah, doing something out of his comfort zone,

you know, was not easy.

[Rafa] I remember when I went to do a music video with Shakira.

I had to ask for a bottle of tequila to drink a few shots to relax a bit.

[energetic music playing]

- [clamoring] - [shutters clicking]

[interviewer] You're kind of a sex symbol.

[Rafa] No, I don't know…

I really never stop to think these things.

So, Rafael, uh, you got a girlfriend?

[laughter]

I have.

I can't get over the way you're flirting with him!

[music fades]

People don't know that he is, in essence, a shy person.

[shutters clicking]

Good luck, Nadal!

[María] We grew up in a very small town.

[nostalgic music playing]

Our families knew each other

since before we were born.

I remember, for example, being at Rafa's first communion.

But, of course, I would've been six years old.

We got to know each other better when we were teenagers.

I remember we started dating during a summer.

It was 2000… It must've been the summer of…

I'm really bad at these things. Rafa's gonna kill me.

[man] You're good with those text messages, huh?

[Rafa] Well…

[María] He was chasing me during that time.

[Rafa] I started sending her some messages and…

she would reply, but without much interest.

[man] Don't be sad. She'll come around.

- I'm a mess right now. - [laughter]

Mary!

Answer, please!

- [indistinct] - [cellphone rings]

Wha…!

I was in love with her.

She gave me the inner strength…

to maintain stability

when I really needed it.

[emotional music playing]

Rafa really likes to be at home,

with his family, in Mallorca…

[Rafa] I lived at home with my parents until I was…

31? 32?

I never felt like leaving. No.

[Maribel] In our family, we have always been very close.

When we were living in Manacor, our grandparents lived on the first floor.

Toni on the second floor, and we were on the third.

So ever since he was a kid,

he's always spent a lot of time with our family.

And I think that this has also made him grow up

in a very family-oriented and also very safe environment.

- [indistinct chatter] - [laughter]

[Rafa] To me, being at home,

I feel like

I can be more myself.

Jerry! Eat this. There's some left.

- [indistinct chatter] - [laughing]

[Rafa] I feel like I can be more myself.

Which are the ones with Nutella?

And live like someone…

with a normal life.

[Rafa] Rafelet!? What a miss! Way off!

[woman] Incredible!

[Rafa] Okay, focus. One more try.

Good! That was so good!

[Rafa] This is good. Really good.

- [María] I only wanted a small piece. - No, go ahead, eat.

You're at your best right now.

[Rafa laughs warmly]

You don't notice, but…

you're at a point where you look spectacular.

Did you treat me?

[poignant music playing]

[commentator 1] At the end of the day, Rafa got in three wins in Madrid.

He was able to make some strides.

Proved to himself that he could play match after match, healthwise.

What's your biggest takeaway from this tournament for Nadal?

[commentator 2] My biggest takeaway is there's optimism.

[Moyá] Brutal, man.

- Mentally, he's doing well. - What?

His head's in a good place today.

[commentator 2] Now it's… He has a week, effectively,

before he would start in Rome.

Ultimately, he's playing the long game for Roland-Garros.

[commentator 1] If he feels the way he's felt this week,

he will be playing Roland-Garros.

[María] He's having his best moment since last year.

And in the end, what matters is that…

he sees himself playing well.

And to have his son see him lift a trophy,

that's what he wants most in life.

And, of course, for his son to see him win.

[Rafa exclaims playfully]

[cheering rises]

[announcer] Ladies and gentlemen,

the winner of the 2010 US Open Men's Championship,

Rafael Nadal!

[Rafa] At that time, I was the best player in the world.

But that's never enough.

To be the best player in the world, you have to prove it in every tournament.

[music fades]

[commentator 1] Let's transition now to the men's singles final.

[commentator 2] Rafael Nadal, the number 1 ranked player in the world,

taking on Novak Djokovic.

[commentator 3] The hottest player. Hasn't fared well in finals against Rafa,

so that's a big asterisk.

[Ángel] The feeling with Djokovic was, he's very good,

but he's still not able to beat the best when it really matters.

[intriguing music playing]

But in 2011, the threat becomes real.

[indistinct]

Everybody wants to take down the number 1.

So, being the hunter oftentimes is better.

Because you feel like

you want to fight for your success, rather than defend it.

[commentator 3] Djokovic takes a commanding lead!

So, it's a psychological battle.

[commentator 3] I see frustration from Nadal now.

Don't see that very often.

[music builds]

There comes a time when players who are very good…

[commentator 3] Oh!

…can make drastic changes in a short amount of time.

[commentator 3] Novak Djokovic is your champion here!

We'll see how far Djokovic can take this momentum.

The next match together, they played again in a final.

Now in Miami.

Now, he is the one with the pressure.

[intriguing music continues]

[Roig] With Djokovic, the matches were very tough.

[commentator] You got to be kidding me!

Rafa always said, "If I play against Federer,

I know that if I play six, seven good shots,

I'm probably going to win the point."

[commentator] How does he get a racket on that?

"Against Djokovic, I could hit 15 and still lose."

- [commentator 2] He's done it! - [crowd cheering]

[Rafa] When I lose the final in Miami,

I realized that my mind isn't reacting like it used to.

[announcer] Novak Djokovic.

[commentator] Djokovic hasn't lost a match all year.

But, of course, let's not forget that he's never beaten Nadal on clay.

[Novak] You could sense that there's some doubt in him,

and I wanted him to feel that.

[tense music playing]

[music builds]

[commentator] Victory for Djokovic

on the Spaniard's beloved clay.

There's a moment when you start to lose your confidence.

And it's the fish that bites its own tail.

I start failing, I lose confidence.

I lose confidence, I fail even more.

[commentator] Oh! Djokovic is the champion in Rome!

That's where I felt, "Okay, I got in his head,

now I just need to keep going."

I had in my head that he had surpassed me.

[commentator] And it's been Nadal, who at critical junctures, has missed.

Which we're so not used to seeing that from Rafa.

- Out! - That's wide.

[commentator] Novak Djokovic is your champion here

and, you'd have to say, he's the best player in the world.

[commentator 2] Now, that is five straight victories

over Rafa Nadal.

[Wertheim] I remember Rafa walks into that press conference.

A guy who was sort of dazed.

You had a feeling Novak had, like…

taken his soul.

I lose because I'm playing against the best player of the moment,

the best player of the world, tomorrow.

And…

[music fades]

…and I am the second.

The great Rafa Nadal now seemed kind of broken.

[announcer] 2011 US Open Men's Singles Champion,

Novak Djokovic!

[Toni] It was a disaster.

He couldn't fight anymore. He didn't know how.

It's a stressful time

that you have to overcome.

- [racket strikes] - [Rafa grunts]

And if you don't overcome it, then you stop being good.

[poignant music playing]

Toni has helped him a lot to become as strong as he has been.

But as a mother, I was worried about all that pressure.

Because he started to have to fight battles in his head

at a very young age.

"It always seems like I have to be better."

"It always seems like it's not enough."

"It always seems like you have to go higher."

[reporter in Spanish] Rafael Nadal has been confirmed

as the best under-14 player in Spain.

[Ana María in English] That even if you get higher, you won't be the best.

You have to go even higher.

- [interviewer] What do you plan to do now? - [young Rafa] Continue training, I guess.

I don't know, I think this tournament is important,

but winning this tournament doesn't mean

that you are already a very good player.

[Ana María] All this creates insecurities in you.

[commentator] And here we go again. Sock. The hair is coming next.

[María] As time has gone by,

he has been adding routines.

- Come on, Rafael! - Come on!

[umpire] Time.

This, this,

the bottles, this, the lines, this, waiting…

So I told him, "Well, stop doing it. We're making a fool of ourselves."

There were times when I tried to get rid of some routines.

Because, when I saw myself on TV,

I didn't like to see myself doing those things.

But, uh…

But I couldn't.

I needed them.

They made me feel safe.

Everyone feels pressure.

But, of course, that's why you're good.

Because you can handle that pressure.

[music stops]

[commentator] Another week of training. Getting back into the rhythm, into shape.

Three, four matches in Rome.

[commentator 2] I don't think he should put pressure on himself.

He has to go out there and play. See how things go.

[Gustavo] There was an unevenness on this side,

but not on that side.

That one was much less.

[diligent music playing]

- [Moyá] You play backhand to him, okay? - Okay.

[Moyá] Hit hard. Let's see that forehand.

To me, it's all about him controlling his mind.

If he's nervous, he volleys badly, hits badly,

moves all over the place.

He's slow, reacts late, gets uncoordinated, all that.

And when he's calm…

everything's better, man.

- [Gustavo] Do a reset now, yeah? - Come on.

[Rafa] I've been resetting the whole training session

because I keep acting like a moron.

[reporter] What is it that you need the most?

What we need the most is…

to beat Djokovic.

[Rafa] Novak was winning the mental battle

and I needed to change that.

[Toni] To me, it's not just a mental issue,

it's a preparation issue.

I can give you confidence, once you are prepared.

[smooth resolute music playing]

[Toni] The change was the forehand.

A more aggressive forehand.

I remember showing him clips.

I told him, "Federer and Djokovic, when they hit a winner, they jump."

With that, they get an extra in terms of speed

and, more importantly, an extra to their will to win.

I made him hit winners from this side,

from that side, from here, from there…

Come on.

[Rafa] Toni helped me change the situation.

I was starting to feel mentally prepared.

[cheering rises]

[hopeful ethereal music playing]

[cheering continues]

[commentator 1] What a match it's going to be.

They are both at the top of their game. The two best players in the world.

The difference for Rafael Nadal this time is that he is number 2.

He is the hunter,

rather than the hunted.

[music fades]

[commentator 2] There's the forehand. This is the one that does the damage.

I don't know what happened, but he was so aggressive.

[rousing battle music playing]

[Rafa] My forehands were more damaging than a few months before.

[commentator 2] An incredible forehand, that's the favorite shot.

[commentator 1] Rafael Nadal takes the first set

after one hour and twenty minutes.

[Rafa] But, even though I may feel better,

I also think about what happened a few months before.

[crowd exclaims]

[commentator 1] Djokovic levels up the match.

[music intensifies]

[commentator 2] Djokovic looks so confident.

[commentator 1] In contrast, the look on Rafa's face told a lot.

[commentator 3] You can sense that Nadal's thinking,

"This is déjà vu."

[commentator 2] It is going to take a Herculean effort from the Spaniard

to take it out to five sets.

[Rafa] Throughout the whole year,

when the important moments against Novak came,

I'd feel that, mentally, I didn't fully believe

that I could win.

But here, what I had been feeling…

[line] Out!

…was changing.

[commentator 1] It is two sets apiece.

Nadal collapses to his knees and then bounces straight back up,

because he knows the job is still there to be done.

[commentator 3] This is the first time Nadal truly believes that he can win.

He's been hoping, he's been wanting,

but this is the first time he truly believes it.

[commentator 1] Officially, the longest Grand Slam final in history.

[commentator 2] Djokovic stretching to try and keep limber and loose.

The fifth set was brutal.

I'd say it was physically… devastating.

[commentator 2] Oh, boy!

Djokovic is down.

[commentator 1] Thirty-one points in the rally.

The crowd just standing and applauding. They're standing up here.

[Novak] I was really worn out.

Doubt was creeping in more and more whether I can pull this through.

[Rafa] I was suffering.

But I was also enjoying

seeing myself once again competing

at the highest level.

[umpire] Nadal leads 4-2.

[Novak] He was a break up.

And I still remember that point.

He plays drop shot. I play counter drop shot.

A pretty bad one.

[pulsing music playing]

A passing shot. Very, very easy.

By winning this point, the match was basically won.

[line] Out!

[commentator] Nadal challenges. The call was a little late.

[commentator 2] Oh, boy!

Can you believe it!

[match replaying on player]

[sound cuts off]

It hurts to watch.

[melancholic music playing]

[commentator] As brave a performance as Rafael Nadal has produced,

he still walks away empty-handed.

[Rafa] There are times when you lose a match

and see it in a negative or a positive way.

[cheering]

[Rafa] And that day I lost the match,

but I wasn't frustrated, or devastated, or anything like that.

I was satisfied.

I had overcome my mental barrier.

[shutters clicking]

[Rafa] I felt that…

I was back.

[music fades]

[sirens blaring]

[commentator] Rafa Nadal will be debuting in Rome.

The Masters 1000 is starting today in the Italian capital.

The last tournament before Roland-Garros begins.

[fans shouting and cheering]

[commentator 2] It's time to push and see where he is at

and how he can get to Paris.

The key here is to avoid injuries.

And, in Paris, to give it all.

[Moyá] Oh!

He's a completely different player now.

[Moyá] The beast, huh?

[hopeful music playing]

[commentator 1] Almost three hours on the clock. Nadal looking to seal it.

[applause]

[Moyá] Win using your head, Rafael.

Come on, Rafael! Let's go!

- Ah! - Come on!

Come on! Come on!

[umpire] 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

[reporter]Rafa Nadal wins on his return to the courts of the Italian Open.

This afternoon we have seen him stronger, more positive,

and fully aware of what he is capable of.

[rising cheers]

[announcer] The 2012 champion, Novak Djokovic!

[Rafa] In 2012, I'm coming from losing all those finals.

[fans calling] Rafa! Rafa!

[Rafa] But I'm mentally prepared to try to be able to win.

[tantalizing music playing]

- [man] Come on! - [umpire] Game, Nadal.

[Maymó] Rafa, in 2012,

is on an upward trend.

[commentator] It's a Rafa special!

[umpire] Game, Nadal!

[crowd cheering]

I had just won at Monte-Carlo, Barcelona, Rome…

And that's when I started to feel pain in my knee.

But, at that moment, I wanted to play.

I was feeling good, I wanted to play. I wanted to win.

With my knee in really bad shape…

[cheering erupts]

…I won Roland-Garros.

[emotional music playing]

[Rafa] So I thought, I'm gonna be number 1 again.

[announcer] Rafael Nadal!

[Rafa] My knee, in my opinion,

was limiting me quite a bit.

But, I've always felt that,

if my mind is willing,

my body can do it.

[crowd] Whoa!

[dispiriting music playing]

[Rafa] My knee was shattered.

The tendon, basically, had a hole in it.

[music stops]

[reporter 1] Rafa Nadal has withdrawn from the Olympic Games and the US Open,

where he was a finalist last year.

[shutters clicking]

PATELLAR TENDINOPATHY

[Ruiz-Cotorro] Those injuries that have been appearing…

are not a coincidence.

They are a consequence of a large, underlying problem.

[Rafa] The fact that I had to play with an insole throughout my career,

threw the rest of my body outta whack.

[soft adverse music playing]

[Ruiz-Cotorro] From the knee to the foot,

it's a chain.

So we make some changes to the foot,

and those changes have an impact on the entire chain.

[Maymó] This was an injury that was not like when you have a fracture,

where you sort of know the time frame for returning to competition.

[Maymó] Does it hurt?

Okay. Easy then.

[reporter 2] Rafael Nadal will not be participating

in the Australian Open.

[reporter 1] Novak Djokovic has won his fourth title in Melbourne,

his third in a row.

Djokovic has made it clear once again who is number 1.

[Ángel] After so many months without playing,

there were many people saying, "Rafa Nadal is finished."

"He's pushed his body to the limit."

"Rafa Nadal will never be the same again."

Rafa Nadal, you've been out of competition for 102 days.

During all this time, over three months,

have you ever thought that it was the end?

[commentator] Rafa Nadal's left knee recovery

is not going as quickly as expected.

That's why Nadal might be thinking of not playing the full Indian Wells,

where he reached the semifinals last year.

[Rafa] The knee hurts either way, if I'm playing and if I'm not.

So I'd rather keep on playing.

I went to New York…

to see a specialist.

[suspenseful music playing]

I asked the doctor,

"Do you think I can play at Indian Wells, on hard court? "

He said, "No."

"I don't think you should play. I don't think you can play."

The doctor told us that it was really bad,

that there was a risk of irreparable damage.

He told us to stop.

[Rafa] We had a team meeting…

and I decided to go to Indian Wells.

I did. I said, "I'm going to Indian Wells."

[soft hopeful music playing]

[Rafa] I hadn't set foot on a hard court in eight months.

And I asked them to put anesthesia in my knee so I could play.

Otherwise, I couldn't move.

[commentator] That's the shot!

I was playing well, kept playing well.

And I ended up winning the tournament.

[commentator] A record-breaking 22nd ATP Masters 1000!

[Rafa] And, here, a new season opens up for me.

Just like that.

2013 comes along and he suddenly starts winning absolutely everything.

[commentator 1] His return to form has been fantastic.

[commentator 2] Rafael Nadal is a champion in Barcelona

for an incredible eighth time.

[Rafa] I feel awful, my knee is hurting a lot,

but it's not the right time to…

to stop.

[crowd cheering]

[Maribel] It's not just the pain when you play,

but it's also

in your daily life, like going down the stairs.

[music fades]

I was very worried.

You see someone suffering and you don't know how to help them.

Of course, in the end, it makes your heart sink.

[unsettling music playing]

[Rafa] I'm taking a lot of anti-inflammatories to play.

Voltaren at night…

and an intramuscular Voltaren injection before every match.

[applause]

[commentator 1] Seventh final in the seventh event since his return

for the great Spaniard.

It became tough to deal with the pain he suffered every day.

And to see him take so many anti-inflammatories

that could be harmful to his health.

[line] Out!

[commentator 2] Nadal is the maestro in Madrid

for a third time!

I want to thank my whole team.

Without you all,

it would be impossible to be here again today.

[Maymó] We clashed at times

because I thought he was taking too many,

or that at certain times it wasn't necessary.

[Rafa] Maymó was against all of it.

Every time I asked about medicine…

I had to make my own decisions.

[Maymó] There came a time when Rafa

started carrying his own anti-inflammatories.

He got to the point of taking them…

not because he was in pain,

but to prevent the pain from coming again.

[commentator] His seventh victory here in Rome!

His numbers improve with each passing victory.

[Rafa] I said, "Okay, whatever."

"I have my medicine and I'll take it when I think I need to take it."

[announcer] …Rafael Nadal!

[Maribel] Sometimes, winning

gives you a perception of reality

that is not real.

Because your health

is much more important than any success.

[commentator 1] Rafael Nadal is your champion in Canada!

[commentator 2] Rafael Nadal wins in Cincinnati!

In fact, I have two small perforations in my intestines.

Small perforations caused by so many anti-inflammatories.

Gentlemen, just a second.

- [interviewer] Do you have cramps? - [Rafa winces]

[commentator] The US Open final.

World number 1, Novak Djokovic against number 2, Rafael Nadal.

[commentator 2] And the match that will determine

the number 1 ranking for the year is this one.

[Rafa] In my career, I've had to make decisions about my health

where I was on the verge of what was right or wrong.

This is where I'm telling you that it's a thin line.

[commentator 2] We are finally at match point for the championship.

[Rafa] But I think that, if I hadn't explored,

I might have ten less Grand Slams.

I'm not saying one or two, I'm saying ten or twelve.

That's the truth.

[music builds]

[commentator] Rafa Nadal has won the US Open for a second time!

[emotional music playing]

[reporter] Rafa Nadal is the best in the world again.

He has managed to dethrone Novak Djokovic.

[reporter 2] A position he hadn't held since 2011.

Rafa Nadal, number 1 in the world.

[Moyá] He's a competitor…

An addict to competition.

That's not easy. [laughs]

Ladies and gentlemen, your US Open champion, Rafael Nadal.

[Moyá] That adrenaline that you have on the court,

that feeling you have when you are competing

in front of 20,000 people in the crowd supporting you…

[crowd chanting] Rafa! Rafa!

[Moyá] It's an addiction.

- [rapturous cheering] - [emotional music continues]

[music fades]

[Rafa] I can feel it a little.

I can feel the whole thing is a little more swollen.

[Ruiz-Cotorro] Let me see.

Bend it.

Over here. Move it.

[Rafa] I think it's around here. Up and down, around this area.

[man] Okay. And it's deep, right?

[Rafa] I have a question. There's nothing we can do about it, right?

- Well, we have to do what we're doing. - Okay, perfect.

That pain… I'm not worried about it.

[ominous music playing]

[journalist] I just wondered, Rafa, how hard it is

kind of managing your body in these matches,

knowing that you need to think about,

or making sure that you're not hurting yourself.

[Rafa] I have some, some issues.

But that's it. I just accept the situation.

[resolute music playing]

[Rafa] There arrives a moment today

that I need to try to play at my 100%.

I have Roland-Garros in two weeks and a half.

I need to push my body to the limit.

And if something happens, something happens.

[action music playing]

[commentator 1] Second round action continues here in Rome.

It is the number 7 seed, Hubert Hurkacz,

up against Rafa Nadal.

- Who's your favorite? - [commentator 2] I think Nadal.

[commentator 3] Rafa and Stanislas Wawrinka

make their way onto Rod Laver Arena.

Gosh! You look at recent history, you look at head-to-heads,

it all favors the world number 1.

[commentator 1] A packed house.

Eager to see how Rafa Nadal will get on in his latest test.

[Rafa] 2014 begins.

I was number 1.

And I was willing to, well…

go to the limit of my possibilities.

[commentator 2] Rafa in full control.

Oh, what a start!

[commentator 1] He's going all out today, from what we're seeing so far.

[Rafa] And all of a sudden…

Boom.

I felt pain in my back.

And I felt that I couldn't.

I couldn't.

I just couldn't.

[ethereal suspenseful music playing]

[commentator] Oof! Risky business!

His foot is bothering him. Did you see that? Couldn't even move.

[commentator] He's looking up at Uncle Toni.

It's not a look of "I've got this figured out."

It's a look of genuine concern.

[commentator 2] They'll put him on the ground.

If it's the back, he would have taken some painkillers.

He's done.

[Maymó] Injuries, the stress,

always pushing your body and mind to the limit…

Then came the moment when all that started to bring…

consequences.

Come, Rafael, come on!

Come on, reset! Go! Let's start again, go! Come on!

Believe it, man!

[commentator] A little clumsy from Nadal.

[commentator 2] That's a couple that Nadal's missed.

[commentator 3] This is the look of a man who might not see the finish line

the way he wanted to.

[crowd exclaims]

[applause]

[commentator] It is indeed victory for Hubie Hurkacz

as Rafa says goodbye to Rome.

[applause fades]

[PA system alert]

[voice on PA] Attention, players, this is a match call.

Please go to the meeting point to be escorted to your court.

[Moyá] Don't make any decisions now, okay.

Whatever you want to do,

there'll be time in a few days to…

to do whatever it is, okay?

[somber music playing]

[Rafa] I've been fighting against my body for many years.

Always with the highest demand.

And this is mentally draining. It's truly exhausting.

And there comes a time when it all collapses.

- [indistinct chatter] - [ball hitting racket]

You guys don't know, truly, huh?

Now with my… Honestly, man.

I am incredibly exhausted.

It's a constant, man.

I'm the most punctured player in the history of our sport.

[Moyá] I know it's hard, but we keep going.

There's no option.

You can also go like this.

You put a little nail up here…

[Moyá] I don't agree.

And it's over.

The little nail can wait.

[somber music continues]

[Rafa] I mean, what tennis gives me…

I mean, what it gives me today,

it takes away much more than it gives me.

- [María] Well, right now. - You know?

I mean, in terms of personal fulfillment,

fun, suffering…

Right now, it takes away much more than it gives me.

[María] Another life is waiting for you.

[music fades]

[serene music playing]

[dynamic serene music playing]

[music fades]