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Rafael Nadal has revealed that he regrets undergoing surgery for the hip injury that derailed his career. The former world No. 1 got injured during a second-round defeat at the Australian Open in 2023, and underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left psoas muscle in June of that year.

But he struggled to make a comeback in 2024, constantly ending up on the sidelines again and playing just seven tournaments from January to July. He then retired from professional tennis during the Davis Cup Finals in November of that year.

And the 22-time Grand Slam champion, who was known for his competitive spirit, playing every point as if it were a championship point, has surprisingly admitted that he doesn't even miss tennis.

The Spanish superstar relaunched his Rafa Nada Museum in Manacor this week, and said: "The best thing is to be here [without] watching the images from the museum, these images that appear on television, and thinking maybe I should have tried.

"Today I can tell you that I don't miss it, because I know that my place is no longer there [on the court]. Tennis is a closed page, a closed one. I think I reached the limit of my capabilities, not mentally, but physically."

Nadal certainly reached his physical limit towards the end of his career. He spent years battling foot injuries, while an abdominal issue forced him out of Wimbledon in 2022, after he'd won the first two Grand Slam tournaments of the season and made it to the semi-finals at the All England Club.

And with hindsight, Nadal now wishes he never underwent hip surgery in 2023, admitting he only did it in hopes that it would allow him to keep competing. The 39-year-old added: "The last year and a half, knowing what happened afterwards... Well, I would not have done it.

"But they [doctors] gave me the confidence that with an operation there would be options to return, to compete properly in the right conditions, and I did it. I did what I had to do to give myself a chance to continue. For what reason? Because I was happy doing what I was doing. The reality is that I was still competitive.

"It was that simple; I still loved what I did, and the fact that I explored that last opportunity gave me, in addition to other things that life gives you, the chance to travel with my son at a very early stage of his life. At least I was able to experience it, and I have beautiful memories of it. That gave me the conviction to close a chapter that had to be closed."

Nadal has not been too involved with tennis since retiring in November 2024 but he recently helped Iga Swiatek out when she came to his Mallorcan academy for a brief training block ahead of the clay season. The world No. 3 hired Nadal's old coach, Francisco Roig, and Nadal was seen getting involved in their training sessions in Manacor.

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