Nadal talks New Documentary, Battling Injuries, Alcaraz Injury & more

Summary

Served with Andy Roddick

Episode: Nadal talks New Documentary, Battling Injuries, Alcaraz Injury & more
Date: May 20, 2026
Host: Andy Roddick
Podcast Network: Served Media Network

Episode Overview

In this special episode, Andy Roddick and team host Rafael Nadal for a candid, rapid-fire conversation during a press junket for Nadal’s new Netflix documentary, set to release May 29th. The interview dives into why Rafa finally agreed to let cameras into his private world, explores his mindset during comeback attempts—especially at his last Roland Garros—and touches on his mentorship of the next generation of players, including Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Świątek. The conversation is rich with introspection and humility, offering rare firsthand perspectives directly from Nadal.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Motivation for the Netflix Documentary

• Why Now?
  • For years, Nadal refused documentary offers to protect his family and team’s privacy.
  • The turning point came in a conversation with David Ellison of Skydance/Paramount, who convinced Nadal it was the right moment.

    “I didn’t want to bother my team and my family because... I am used to stay under the cameras, but not them. So I don't want to put them in that position.” – Rafael Nadal (03:16)

  • Nadal’s family eventually agreed, making the project a meaningful keepsake for them.

    “We had a great team that make us feel comfortable... and my family get used to that. And I think it's something... we're going to have it forever.” – Rafael Nadal (03:16)

2. Battling Through Injuries and Understanding When to Step Away

• Returning for One Last Roland Garros
  • Nadal explained his decision to attempt a comeback despite age and rank:

    “If the doctors will tell me you will have zero chances to come back... I probably will not do it. But the doctors give me a percentage of positive chances... That’s why I tried.” – Rafael Nadal (05:42)

  • Realization that he couldn't return to peak form led to his retirement.
• The Pain and the Process
  • Emphasized his history of perseverance through tough recoveries.
  • Once certain physical limits could not be overcome, he was at peace with his transition out of active competition.
  • On his feelings now:

    “I am in another phase of my life. I am super happy with my new life... I am able to see all these videos... I remember my career in a positive way.” – Rafael Nadal (06:49)

3. Reflecting on His Career and Emotional Legacy

• Nadal discusses the emotional experience of looking back through the documentary footage:
  • Proud of his work ethic, resilience, and longevity in the sport.
  • Feels satisfaction and peace, without regret or lingering pain from the sacrifices and struggles.

    “Of course I went through a lot of pain, but I mean it's not in my mind in that way. I remember my career in a positive way and tennis gave me a lot.” – Rafael Nadal (06:49)

4. Mentoring the Next Generation: Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Świątek, and More

• Nadal is open with advice for rising stars, drawing from his own injuries and comebacks.
  • Discussed Carlos Alcaraz’s current injury, offering reassurance from personal experience:

    “He has an injury that he will recover 100% if he does the proper things... I had exactly the same injury that he has... I think in some way gives you some positiveness in a tough moment.” – Rafael Nadal (08:15)

  • Nadal values being accessible and open for advice to players at his academy and beyond.

5. Previewing the Documentary (“Rafa”)

• Listeners are treated to an early exclusive preview of the documentary trailer:

  “With Rafa, you know that every match is live or die. Just made you feel that you need to play superhuman to beat him.” – Podcast Host (11:39)
  “I need to push my body to the limit. And if something happens, something happens.” – Rafael Nadal (11:46)

• The film promises never-before-seen footage, intimate moments with family, and a close look at his final years on tour.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Legacy and Memory:

  “Something that gonna stay forever there... an athlete like me should leave that.” – Rafael Nadal (03:16)

• On Perseverance:

  “I did it a lot of times in the past... if the doctors give me a positive percentage... that's why I tried.” – Rafael Nadal (05:42)

• On Retiring with Peace:

  “I finished my career and I am in peace. I had nothing left on my tanks.” – Rafael Nadal (06:49)

• As a Mentor:

  “My phone is always ready for the other players... it’s about knowing that, and listening that from somebody like me, I think... gives you positiveness.” – Rafael Nadal (08:15)

• On the Documentary Footage:

  “Going to be a good memory of this period... what is in the documentary is important... but I will have a lot of material for myself... that going to stay privately for the rest of our lives.” – Rafael Nadal (03:16)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:07] – Nadal joins the call, reveals why he agreed to the documentary
• [03:16] – Motivation behind filming and family’s role
• [05:42] – Details of his last Roland Garros and comeback mindset
• [06:49] – Reflecting on the emotional and mental journey post-retirement
• [08:15] – Mentoring younger players, thoughts on Carlos Alcaraz’s injury
• [11:39] – Early trailer preview, “Rafa” documentary highlights

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Episode Tone & Style

The conversation is warm, candid, and introspective. Nadal’s humility and openness shine, particularly as he discusses personal struggles and the shift to his post-tennis phase. There’s a palpable sense of respect and admiration between Roddick and Nadal, giving listeners both behind-the-scenes access and tennis wisdom from generational icons.

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Conclusion

Rafael Nadal’s surprise appearance brings unique depth and authenticity to this episode. Fans and newcomers alike will find inspiration in his reflections on legacy, resilience, and altruism toward younger players. The upcoming documentary promises to be emotional and insightful—a must-watch for sports lovers and anyone interested in the human side of greatness.

Don’t miss “Rafa” on Netflix, May 29th!

Transcript

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[Podcast Host]

This episode is brought to you by ServiceNow. Look, I have my dream job. I watch tennis, I think about tennis, I talk about tennis. But even dream jobs have not so dreamy parts. The stuff that gets in the way of the actual work, that's where ServiceNow's AI specialists come in. They don't just tell you what you should do about your busy work, they actually do it. Start to finish, cases closed, requests handled, no extra work for you. That way, you and your team can focus on the work that matters, which for me is explaining at length why tennis players are the best athletes on earth. Sorry, everyone else on earth. To learn how to put AI to work for people, visit servicenow.com. Hey, everyone. Welcome to a special quick served team. You called the bat phone you told us to assemble? Yeah. News team is assembled. Yeah, I said get into the studio.

[Columbia Announcer]

Yep.

[Podcast Host]

Never done this before. Sean fired it up real quick. Here we are. What if I just said I have nothing and I just wanted to see you guys? You wanted to see if we could do it? Uh, Sean, I just forwarded you a zoom link into your served email. Can you click on it and then tell me what you see?

[Rafael Nadal]

All right.

[Podcast Host]

Clicking. No way. Say it. Rafa. Yeah. What? Yeah.

[Rafael Nadal]

When?

[Podcast Host]

Right now. Like, yeah, he's gonna pop up any second on. On the screen here. He's doing a press junket. So we're basically in line right now. Yeah, it looks like we got. We got seven minutes. Okay. So, yeah, seven minutes. We're. By the time you hear this, it won't be seven minutes. Press junket for what? It'll just be on for Rafa. The documentary, the Netflix, the net Netflix deal.

[Home Depot Announcer]

Let's go.

[Podcast Host]

Coming out May 29th. But anyway, so I just texted Benito, who handles a lot of stuff is. Is fantastic. He said, yeah, we'll try to fit you in on the end. Squeeze this in. I think he's been doing 17 straight hours of. Of press for this thing.

[Home Depot Announcer]

What a legend.

[Podcast Host]

And just threw us in on the back end. So by the time that seven minutes is up, it'll only be like seven seconds from now. We're going to get the inside track on the. The documentary that comes out from the man himself. Rafa man, thanks for. Thanks so much for joining. Served again. I'm excited. The documentary, I know we've all been waiting and wanting to watch it. The question. First question I have is why did you feel the need to put this out? What was your motivation for kind of letting people in behind the scenes a little bit more?

[Rafael Nadal]

I think I refused doing that. During all my tennis career. I had plenty of opportunity to. Of doing that. I refused especially because I didn't want to bother my team and my family because I am used to. To stay under the cameras, but not them. So I don't want to put them in that position. But rightful moment that I had a conversation with David Ellison. That was the. He is the owner of Skydance now Paramount and maybe more. But. And yeah, I think he convinced me that was the right moment to do it. That's something that gonna stay forever there. And in some ways, I mean, an athlete like me should. Should leave that. So in some way I understand he explained me the project and I was very well convinced talking with my family. Okay. They were fine with that. And in some way I think I am happy that I did. It was tough at the beginning for everyone, but later on we had a great team that make us feel comfortable and my family get used to that. And I think it's something that we're going to have it forever. So going to be a good memory of this period of time that we were filming with the small kids. And of course what is in the documentary is important that everybody will see it. But of course I will have a lot of material for myself that that the scenes and situations that will not be in documentary that going to stay for us privately for the rest of our lives are going to be nice things.

[Podcast Host]

So one of the things that I'm interested as someone who played against you and kind of watched you throughout your career, I know that the film crew followed you up through your last role on Garros. Which probably wasn't the easiest time of your career with physically and mentally and everything else. At 38 years old, you were ranked 650 something in the world, right? Leading into that Roland Garros, you always seem to just lean into pain. Like I can't imagine having won 22 slams and then choosing that path again. What made you want to do that and come back and try one last time?

[Rafael Nadal]

Easy question. Because I did it a lot of times in the past. So I wanted to explore that possibility again. And if the doctors will tell me you will have zero chances to come back and to feel free to compete again for the things that you are used to, I probably will not do it, but the doctors give me a percentage of positive chances that I will have the chance to come back and recover 100% from the, from the hip. That's why I tried. That's why I give myself a prudential time to explore if that was the case or not. And when I realized that was not the case and my hip was, will never be the same as before and I will not, will not have the chance to compete for the things that I really, I am excited for. I decided to make a step away.

[Podcast Host]

So now that your life is, well, I should say this, but you're busy promoting a documentary. Now that your life has calmed down a little bit, is it strange to kind of go and look back at the intense moments, the highs, the lows? Is it at all stressful to look backwards?

[Rafael Nadal]

I mean, that phase of my life, it's close. To be honest, no. I am in another phase of my life. I am super happy with my new life. I am very proud about my tennis career, especially about the longevity, especially about all the things that I went through to be able to keep playing tennis. I really had the right working ethic and determination to try to find always a way to be competitive. And today I finished my career and I am in peace. I had nothing left on my tanks. So I am able to see all these videos. Of course, some of ones bring me back some great memories and I come a little bit more emotional, but in a good way. I mean, I don't produce me at all pain. I remember my career in a positive way. Of course I went through a lot of pain, but I mean it's not in, in, in in my mind in that way. I remember my career in a positive way and Dennis gave me a lot.

[Podcast Host]

So you have two decades more of, of experience of, you know, pain, injuries, you know, the highest of highs, the toughest Moments now you have all this knowledge. I know Yala has, you know, been at your academy. I know IGA was just there. I know Carlos uses you as a mentor. How much do you appreciate the ability to kind of share your experiences to help the next generation of tennis players?

[Rafael Nadal]

I have been always very open to talk to anyone who wants to talk to me, and my phone is always ready for the other players. Now, to be honest, I spoke with some of them, and I think it's about perspective. And when you are retired and you know very well the perspective is different than when you are there that. I mean, every day you are not able to be on court, you are. You feel that you are missing something, you know, so when you finish. Okay, for example, for Carlos today, that now he's feeling that he lost two Grand Slams, a couple master thousands is a tough moment. But in some way, the good thing is he has an injury that he will recover 100% if he does the proper things. And I'm sure he is doing the proper things, because I know that very well, because I had the same injury two times in my career. 2014, 2016, when I retired from Roland Garros. 2016, I had exactly the same injury that he has. So the main thing is he already achieved a lot. That gives him some calm, and he will recover 100% from that, and he has plenty of years in front. And it's about knowing that in listening that from somebody like. Like me that I went through all these things, I think in some way gives you some positiveness in a tough moment.

[Podcast Host]

Rafa, I can't wait to see it. You know, I've been a bit a fan of you as a. As a player and as a person for. For a very long time. So I know I speak for the tennis community when I say thank you for doing this. I know it's not easy with. With. With a young family and trying to get on with the next phase of your life, but certainly appreciate it.

[Rafael Nadal]

I hope you like it.

[Podcast Host]

Oh, I know we will. May 29th on Netflix. Check out Rafa. Thanks, buddy. All right. Also, we have an early look at the Rafa trailer. A couple minutes of what's going to be in store for us.

[Rafael Nadal]

With Rafa.

[Podcast Host]

You know that every match is live or die. Just made you feel that you need to play superhuman to beat him.

[Rafael Nadal]

I need to push my body to the limit. And if something happens, something happens.

[Podcast Host]

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