Rafael Nadal, the 22-time Grand Slam champion who retired in 2024, revealed the painful battle he fought with a rare foot condition throughout his legendary career.
Diagnosed with Mueller-Weiss syndrome after breaking his foot in 2005, Nadal told the BBC he took significant health risks to keep playing. He said, "If I hadn't explored all that, I probably would have had 10 fewer Grand Slams."
The condition, worsened by his childhood training under his uncle Toni, led to tendinitis in his left knee and intestinal perforations from painkillers.
During the 2022 French Open final, his last Grand Slam win, Nadal needed targeted anesthetic injections and had no feeling in his leg. He explained, "The key was the suffering was less than my passion and my happiness for what I was doing."