Rafa, the four-part Netflix series directed by Zach Heinzerling, chronicles Rafael Nadal’s difficult decision to retire from tennis at the end of the 2024 season, after an astounding 22 Grand Slam wins — and also several injuries and a painful foot condition that plagued him throughout his career.
The doc weaves together archival footage of Nadal’s intense training sessions with his coach, Uncle Toni; interviews with rivals Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and more; and glimpses of his home life to show what has motivated the former No. 1 pro to compete for more than two decades, as well as the mental and physical toll it has taken.
“I enjoyed doing what I was doing,” Nadal tells THR. “Of course, I paid the price of suffering. But I always put everything on the balance, and that’s why I was always able to keep going. I said, ‘OK, I’m having pain every day, but on the other hand, I have been enjoying all these amazing and unforgettable moments of my life.”
“I was doing it for the people next to me, team, family, fans. It’s not [just] a way to talk. That’s true. That’s the way that I approached that,” he added.
Nadal was not a producer on the doc, which was made by Skydance Sports, and also meant the tennis star had to give over some degree of control. Before this, Nadal had long been resistant to doing a documentary, because he was worried about showing a more personal side of his life and having cameras around his family and team. Skydance head David Ellison convinced him to do this project with the idea that this was, at the very least, the last stage of Nadal’s career.
