"It seems a bit selfish to me" - Rafael Nadal on people who don't want to get vaccinated

With his recovery from a foot injury gathering speed, Rafael Nadal has officially announced that he will play at the Abu Dhabi exhibition next month. The 20-time Grand Slam champion has undertaken extensive treatment for the problem, and things seem to be going in the direction as he was recently spotted training at the Rafa Nadal Academy.

Spanish news organization MARCA have launched their first edition of Sport Weekend, and Rafael Nadal was one of the guests who attended the event virtually. In a candid conversation, the Spaniard opened up about the the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and also about the mental toughness required to play tennis and the Spanish football team's recent success.

In the run-up the Australian Open, there has been an ongoing debate about whether unvaccinated players should be allowed to participate in the tournament. When Nadal was asked for his opinion on the issue, the 35-year-old criticized those who are still not taking the jab, while highlighting the severity of the unprecedented crisis.

"I understand that there are people who do not want to be vaccinated, but it seems a bit selfish to me," Nadal said. "We have suffered a lot. We do not know one hundred percent the effects of vaccines, but we do have to trust the doctors, which we do know it is the effect of the virus if we are not vaccinated. It seems that today we are the country that is least affected by the virus and I think it is because we have a large part of the population vaccinated."

The Spaniard also spoke about the #NuestraMejorVictoria (Our Best Victory) campaign he launched with former Spanish basketball player Pau Gasol.

"We are all tired of this situation, they are complicated years, many people have lost close people," Nadal said. "We (him and Pau Gasol) had to take a step forward, to try to help, put a grain of sand and give help to people."

Rafael Nadal then proceeded to talk about mental strength, and how having a solid temperament can help overcome challenges in training and match-like situations. Explaining that things are not always what they seem like, Nadal opened up about the difficulties he has faced. He also mentioned that even the strongest players can take a hit when the demands from the sport get too high.

"It [mental strength] is a very important aspect and more [so] in a sport like tennis," Nadal said. "It is vital to have a base from a young age. People tell me that I am very strong mentally, but I also suffer, like everyone else and I see it very black [sometimes]. But the essence of sport is that despite seeing something [as] almost impossible, you can [still] achieve it."

Elaborating on the instances that have truly tested his mental capacities, the 35-year-old recalled the 2013 Roland Garros semifinal against Novak Djokovic. The grueling five-setter, which went on for 4 hours and 37 minutes, saw Nadal emerge victorious despite being 2-4 down in the deciding set.

"I think my biggest comeback was at Roland Garros in 2013, in the semifinals against Djokovic, when I was losing 4-2 in the fifth set and ended up winning the miracle match," Nadal said. "Because of [this I realized] mental strength is the most important."

Rafael Nadal hails the Spanish football team for their performance in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers

(L-R) Rafael Nadal, Usain Bolt and Pau Gasol after the 2013 Roland Garros victory

Rafael Nadal also spoke about the ongoing FIFA World Cup qualifiers, where Spain currently sit on top of the table with 16 points from seven games. He praised his national team for their table-topping performance in the league so far, and expressed his excitement for the upcoming Spain vs Sweden clash.

"Yesterday was very productive, due to our result and that of Sweden," Nadal said. "I think that even though we are facing a remodeled team, it is fully complying."

Nadal further elaborated on how much it means to everyone in Spain to see the national team deliver great performances after a mediocre run the last few years. He specified that it was unfair for head coach Luis Enrique to have received so much criticism in recent times.

"I was moved by the European Championship, the country is involved again," the Spaniard said. "From the sofa in our homes it is very easy to criticize (Luis Enrique), [but] you have to support the national team and I think the dynamics are positive."