"We have been here for many years, but I am convinced that those who arrive will stay and take over" - Rafael Nadal on life after the Big-3

Tennis superstar Rafael Nadal is currently recovering from the abdominal injury that he sustained in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon against Taylor Fritz. However, after the initial scare, the recovery time is set to be a couple of weeks and not months, as the Spaniard looks to extend his dominant 2022 season at the US Open next month.

In a recent interview with Talento a Bordo, the Spaniard spoke about the domination of the so-called 'Big-3' in the sport -- namely himself, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. Nadal was asked about how tennis will continue once they hang up their racquets, to which the Spaniard responded that he is convinced about the presence of newer players who can take up the mantle.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion was of the opinion that such changes have always been part and parcel of tennis, hinting that, despite how it appears at the moment, others will eventually show up to emulate them.

"In tennis there has always been generational change. We have had great stars that have been replaced by others, it is normal. Perhaps in our case what has happened is that we have been many years, but I am convinced that those who arrive will stay and take over," Nadal said.

One of Rafael Nadal's biggest strengths is his mental fortitude, as the Spaniard has dominated the sport for the better part of two decades. The former World No. 1 touched on the topic as well, speaking about the importance of training one's mental strength through competition.

"Mental strength is one of the important elements for competition. Everything can be trained and that mental strength is something I also worked with my uncle Toni since I was a child. Then, with the evolution of my career that work continued and the competition itself made it intensify and continue to evolve," Nadal said.

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"The fight is also against oneself and that is a section that sometimes costs a lot" - Rafael Nadal

Day Ten: The Championships - Wimbledon 2022

Speaking a bit more about the mental aspect of the sport during the interview, Rafael Nadal philosophized how players sometimes have to fight themselves in addition to their opponents as well. In the Mallorcan's opinion, winning this battle "against oneself" is just as important when it comes to mental strength.

"All elite sports are complicated and tennis especially being a one-on-one sport. The match is against an opponent who is sometimes better than you, or who is in better shape that day even if it is worse in theory. But the fight is also against oneself and that is a section that sometimes costs a lot. We have seen it in many cases. It is there, though not only, that mental work is especially important," he said.

Rafael Nadal also weighed in on what his life might look like post-retirement. The 22-time Grand Slam champion revealed that he intends to continue being active even in retirement, provided his body allows him to. The World No. 3 also intends to spend more time in his academy once his playing days are over, a project he is most excited about.

"Surely one day I will be an elite ex-athlete, but I will always be an athlete because sport is my passion and I will practice it whenever my body allows me. And I will always be involved with the Academy, which is a project that we started a few years ago and that is gaining more and more strength. I even hope to be able to devote more time to it than I do now since I continue to compete and travel the world," he concluded.