"If you do not have the humility to listen to the things that you do not like so much, it is difficult for you to continue on the right path" - Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal has had one of his most stellar seasons on tour despite being beset by injuries. Having won the Australian Open and Roland Garros earlier in the year, he improved to 19-0 in Majors this year by reaching the Wimbledon semifinals.
However, the Spaniard had to withdraw from his blockbuster clash against Nick Kyrgios because of an abdominal tear.
The All England Lawn Tennis Club would like to extend our sympathies to @RafaelNadal
#Wimbledon https://t.co/EpLvyyQEKV
During an interaction with EuroSport, the 36-year-old spoke about the need for any athlete competing in an individual sport to have the right coach to taste success.
“In team sports you have a coach who is the club," said Nadal. "Hire a coach and the player is paid too. But the coach is the boss. In our sport, I am the one who pays the coach, the physical trainer, the physical therapist. In the end, you are the boss."
He said that players need humility and added that the support staff need to have the freedom to express themselves.
"If you don't make all those people around you feel they have the freedom to say things, whether they are good or bad, without putting your job at risk, you are not allowing yourself to be helped. If you do not have the humility to listen to the things that you do not like so much, it is difficult for you to continue on the right path," Nadal said.
Rafael Nadal's 2022 campaign so far
Rafael Nadal won his first 20 matches this year to make a career-best start to an ATP tour season. During this stretch, the Spaniard picked up titles in Melbourne and Acapulco along with the Australian Open. His triumph at the year's first Major made him the first male player to win 21 Grand Slam singles titles.
However, his perfect start to the season came to end at the hands of Taylor Fritz in the Miami final. The Spaniard was then out of action for a few weeks after suffering a rib injury during the tournament.
Making a belated start to his claycourt campaign, Nadal endured early defeats in Madrid and Rome but created more history at Roland Garros. He beat defending champion Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals before beating Casper Ruud in the final to win a record-extending 14th title at the claycourt Major.
ROLAND-GARROS N°14 
👑 ROLAND-GARROS N°14 👑
#RolandGarros https://t.co/WCmTgakTLq
Playing on grass for the first time in three years, Nadal reached the Wimbledon semis for the third time in succession. However, he picked up an abdominal injury that forced him to withdraw from a blockbuster semifinal clash with Nick Kyrgios.
Rafael Nadal is expected to be back in action before the US Open, where he is a four-time champion.