Rafael Nadal, a titan of tennis and a 22-time Grand Slam champion, recently reflected on a question that every elite athlete, at some point, quietly contemplates: If he could rewind time and replay one match, which would it be? His answer, while unexpected to some, offers a window into both his competitive mindset and the physical toll of life at the top.
Despite a glittering résumé that includes a record-shattering 14 Roland Garros titles, countless Masters 1000 trophies, and a long reign as world No. 1, Nadal’s journey hasn’t been without its painful detours. Speaking candidly in a Q&A session via his new TikTok account, Nadal pinpointed one match in particular that still lingers in the recesses of his memory.
“I believe that if I could play a game again, maybe it would be the 2014 Australian [Open] final, to see if I don’t get hurt,” he revealed.
That Melbourne final, which ended in a four-set defeat to Stan Wawrinka, wasn’t just any loss. It was a moment marred by misfortune before the first serve was even struck. Nadal sustained a back injury during the warm-up — an untimely tweak that immediately limited his power and movement, visibly affecting his serve and baseline play.
Wawrinka, hungry and in fine form, seized the moment and went on to claim his maiden Grand Slam title with a 6–3, 6–2, 3–6, 6–3 victory. Yet heading into that showdown, Nadal had an unblemished 12-0 record against the Swiss and was riding a wave of dominance, having captured two of the previous three majors and stringing together 26 straight wins on hard courts from March to October 2013.
Despite the pain, Nadal showed his trademark sportsmanship and resilience post-match. “I did not want to retire,” he explained. “It was not an easy situation for me. I tried hard. I tried to finish the match as good as I can, for the crowd, for the opponent, for me. But it was impossible to win this way. I have talked enough about the back. That’s life. I’ve had a lot of great moments in my career, and that was a tough one. That is part of life, part of sport. It is not the end of the world.”
In true Nadal fashion, he placed the match into perspective, showing gratitude over grievance. “A lot of people in this world have lots of very tough days. I’m not that kind of person. I feel very lucky to be able to work at something I love to do,” he said. “It is tough tonight, and in a few weeks that’s going to pass. I’m going to keep working, training hard. I’m going to keep enjoying this world of tennis.”
And with no bitterness, he tipped his hat to Wawrinka’s performance: “But this is Stan’s day, not my day. It is very tough to stop him when he’s playing that way. He’s playing better and better, with amazing confidence, hitting every ball very, very hard, moving great.”
But Nadal’s scars at the Australian Open didn’t start — or stop — with the 2014 final. Perhaps the most excruciating chapter unfolded two years earlier, in a near six-hour war of attrition against Novak Djokovic. That 2012 title clash remains the longest Grand Slam final in history — an epic that stretched five hours and fifty-three minutes. Nadal led 4-2, 30-15 in the final set but faltered on a routine backhand, a miss that shifted momentum irreversibly. Djokovic roared back to seal it 5–7, 6–4, 6–2, 6–7(5), 7–5.
Still, Nadal found peace in defeat. “I am satisfied. I have given the most I had. I have played well. I have fought until the end. I lost. The other one beat me. This is sport: if you dedicate yourself to this, you either win or you lose.”
Another bittersweet memory Nadal may carry is his 2007 Wimbledon final against his longtime rival, Roger Federer. By then, the two had become the dominant forces in men’s tennis, trading Grand Slam crowns like heavyweights in their prime. Federer had already claimed four straight Wimbledon titles and looked unbeatable on grass, but Nadal was closing the gap fast.
The match turned into a classic — a five-set thriller showcasing Nadal’s evolution on grass and Federer’s relentless composure under pressure. After 3 hours and 45 minutes of breathtaking tennis, Federer eked out a 7–6(7), 4–6, 7–6(3), 2–6, 6–2 win. As with his loss to Djokovic, Nadal had opportunities in the deciding set, especially at 2-2 on Federer’s serve, but couldn’t convert.
While those matches didn’t go his way, each loss added a layer of resilience to Nadal’s legacy. For an athlete whose career has been defined as much by grit and grace as by trophies, revisiting these pivotal defeats isn’t about regret — it’s a reflection on how thin the margins are at the summit of sport. And in every near miss, there lies a lesson, a story, and a champion’s soul determined to fight another day.