Rafael Nadal, the 22-time Grand Slam champion, recently spoke about his approach to proper nutrition throughout his illustrious playing career and now, following his retirement.
“Understanding how to eat well and maintain the right diet came a bit later compared to when I was younger,” he shared. “I learned a lot, especially from the middle part of my career onwards, because I started working with dietitians. But I was never… super strict. And when I finished my career, it was pretty much the same. I really love milk chocolate… Unfortunately.”
Nadal also mentioned his cooking habits: “From time to time, I enjoy cooking things I like: fish, for example… Here, we cook fish rice, fish soup, paella – I enjoy cooking all these dishes more.”
He also offered a glimpse into his typical days since stepping away from professional tennis.
Contrasting his past routine with the present, Nadal said, “I used to wake up with an alarm clock, and now my child wakes me up. I usually train from 8:30 to 10 AM because I realize that if I put off training until the last minute, I`ll always find excuses not to go.”
“I try to organize my day to spend time at home,” he added. “I honestly love picking up my son from school and do it as often as I can. I try to do most of my work and meetings in the mornings. I thought I`d play golf four or five times a week, but in the end, because of work and because I want to be home with my son, I only play twice.”