When legendary Rafael Nadal retired at the end of 2024 at age 38, it felt like he took more than just his 22 Grand Slam titles—including a record 14 at the French Open—with him. He also seemed to carry away a whole world of secrets. Unlike many other athletes who played at the highest level for years, Nadal never seemed interested in opening up. He was always polite, one of the greatest sportsmen ever, and respected by his rivals. But he was also a man of few words, always something of a mystery.

Director Zach Heinzerling’s new four-part documentary, Rafa, which premieres on Netflix on May 29, goes a long way toward changing that. Yes, we see Nadal growing up in Majorca as a tennis prodigy, coached and shaped for almost his entire career by his uncle Toni, who taught him to push and push and push. But crucially, we also see the toll that pushing took—on Nadal’s body and his mind.

Lifelong Rafa-watchers like me already know about the injuries that kept him from playing in so many tournaments (he missed 18 Grand Slams over his career). But even I was shocked, while watching Rafa, at how early those injuries started, how serious and even life-changing they were, and how early and often Nadal had to make painful choices about his health and his career.

The documentary is full of revealing conversations with Nadal, his uncle Toni, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and many others. It also offers incredible insight into Rafa’s famous on-court rituals, his almost Sisyphus-like drive, his close relationship with his family, and the tough decisions he made about ending his career.

In short: If you’re a tennis fan, or especially a Nadal fan, this documentary is a must-watch. We caught up with Rafa over Zoom to ask him about it.

Vogue: Where are you speaking to us from? I hear a bit of noise in the background…

Rafael Nadal: I’m in Madrid today because tonight we have the premiere of the documentary. We’ve been preparing all day. I traveled yesterday from my home in Majorca.

Vogue: A bit random, but I have to ask: When was the last time you hit some tennis balls?

Rafael Nadal: In any real way? I mean, playing with my son, who’s three years old—I don’t really count that as hitting a tennis ball. But when he wants to play, I play. Otherwise, I think it was about seven months ago, either at home or at my academy. I had surgery on my hand six months ago, so I couldn’t play for a while after that.

Vogue: Let’s get straight to the documentary, which I loved. Why did you decide to do this now? You seem like a pretty private person—I’m wondering if you just wanted to tell a story that hasn’t been told before?

Rafael Nadal: Because it’s something that will stay with us forever. I think it will be a good memory of the last stages of my tennis career—in a personal way. And I found the right team: a great director, Zach Heinzerling, and a great team working on the documentary. I refused to do this during my whole tennis career, but this time I decided to go ahead with it, during the last year of my career, knowing it was probably my last chance. I’m happy with that decision. It was tough at first, of course—putting cameras in front of people who weren’t used to having them around. It’s always a strange feeling at the beginning, but the team was great, and my family got used to it.

Vogue: It’s very personal. We see these crucial moments when you’re making big decisions—about your health and medical treatment, your career, and even ending your career. We see you in tender moments playing with your son. Was there ever a situation where you just said, “No—you can’t film this”?

Rafael Nadal: I mean, when I’m going to the shower, I d—I don’t want them showing me in the shower [laughing]. No—but seriously, if you’re going to make a documentary like this, you have to do it right. Otherwise, don’t bother. I didn’t want to hide anything—I just wanted to be myself. I wanted people to see who I really am in my daily life, not just in front of cameras or on a public stage.

One of the most fascinating parts of the film was the footage of your different rituals or habits on the tennis court. These are things your fans know well—before every serve, you adjust your hair, your headband, your shorts. During changeovers, you became known for lining up your water bottles under your chair in a very specific way. What I didn’t know—until I saw it and heard it from your uncle Toni, your longtime coach—was that at one point you tried to stop or tone down these habits. Uncle Toni seemed to think they were beneath you. From your perspective, what was the purpose of these rituals? Or did they just happen naturally and take on a life of their own?

People probably think I did all this because I’m superstitious or something, but I’m really not—and I don’t do any of this in my everyday life. It was a way to make myself comfortable, to focus on what I was doing, and to keep my mind from wandering during every moment. The rituals helped me know exactly what I was doing at all times on the court. And of course, they grew over my career—at the start, I had fewer; later on, I had more. But in a way, when you have to compete every day against an opponent, you need to stay in your own bubble. That was how I felt comfortable, honestly. It’s as simple as that. I tried to stop for a while, but I couldn’t. That’s the truth.

You made some very important decisions about your health—like playing through injuries—both early in your career and throughout it. Some of those decisions went against the advice of doctors or your team. Are you comfortable with those choices now, or do you regret playing through the pain?

Of course, I would change some decisions I made in my life—without a doubt. But it’s easy to say that now, knowing the outcome. On the other hand, because I pushed my limits, I was able to have a much longer career and achieve much more than if I hadn’t tried. So yes, I would change things—but with everything I did in my tennis career, I believed I was doing the best thing possible to keep playing at the highest level the way I needed to.

Photo: Courtesy of Netflix

Last question: It’s French Open time again. Does your blood still start to race at this time of year? Do you feel it? Do you miss it?

No—not at all. No. My life as a tennis player is closed, and firmly closed. I’m very happy with my new life, and I don’t feel nostalgic about my past. I’m very proud, but it’s over, and I’m happy with my new life.

Fair enough. But who, may I ask, is going to win it?

That’s the great thing about sports—it’s unpredictable. It looks like Jannik Sinner is a huge favorite—he’s achieving everything—but it’s always hard to win. Let’s see if he can go all the way.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs about Rafael Nadals Netflix documentary Rafa written in a natural conversational tone

1 What is the Netflix documentary Rafa about
Its a behindthescenes look at Rafael Nadals life focusing on his final season on the professional tennis tour It shows his struggles with injuries his mindset and his personal life

2 Is this the same as the book Rafa
No The book was published years ago The Netflix documentary is a new separate project that covers his later career especially his 2022 season and his battle with a foot injury

3 Does Nadal talk about his injuries in the documentary
Yes a lot He opens up about the chronic foot pain that almost ended his career as well as his mental and physical struggle to keep playing

4 Does the documentary show his family and personal life
Yes It includes intimate moments with his wife Mery his parents and his uncle and coach Toni Nadal You see how they support him behind the scenes

5 Is the documentary sad or uplifting
Its both There are very emotional and difficult moments especially when hes in pain But its also inspiring because you see his incredible determination and love for the sport

6 Does the documentary cover his rivalry with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic
It touches on it but its not the main focus The story is more about Nadals personal journey and his relationship with his own body and mind

7 Does he talk about his retirement plans in the documentary
Yes indirectly He discusses the possibility of retirement and how hes preparing for the end of his career but he doesnt announce a specific date

8 Is there a lot of tennis match footage
There is some but its not a highlight reel The footage is used to tell the emotional story not just to show his best points

9 What is the most surprising thing Nadal reveals
Many fans are surprised by how vulnerable and anxious he feels before big matches even after winning 22 Grand Slams He admits hes often scared of losing

10 Who directed the documentary
It was directed by Zach Heinzerling