Watch: Rafael Nadal discusses his favorite football player, what makes him happy, and more
Ahead of the 2022 season, World No. 6 Rafael Nadal had a casual interview with lifestyle magazine VICE, where he discussed some lesser-known aspects of his life.
The Spaniard recently took to his social media handles to share a video of the chat that was conducted in partnership with Amstel Ultra, who became the first beer company to partner with the tennis star earlier this year.
During the course of the conversation, Nadal was asked a series of fun questions like if he prefers cats or dogs (dogs), comedy or horror (comedy) and surfing or fishing (both).
The interview then veered to who his favorite footballer in the world was. Nadal immediately replied that it was Ronaldo, but also clarified that he meant Brazil's Ronaldo Nazario and not Cristiano Ronaldo.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion then went on to talk about Cristiano and Lionel Messi. The former World No. 1 said that although he has enjoyed them for years, he has to pick Ronaldo Nazario because he grew up watching him play as a little kid.
"The truth is that, with Ronaldo Nazario, I grew up watching him when I was little, and I really liked watching him play many times live," Rafael Nadal said.
This is not the first time Nadal has avoided the Ronaldo-Messi debate as it is well-documented that he is a fan of Ronaldo Nazario.
Finally, replying to what makes him happy in life, Nadal opined that his life has benefitted from being uncomplicated. Living his entire life in the same place, having a few but long-time friends and spending quality time with his family daily are the Mallorca-born Nadal's ingredients for a simple and happy life.
"I have always lived in the same town; I have the same friendships since I was 3 or 4 years old," Nadal said. "I also have a lot of contact with my friends, and practically every day with my family."
Rafael Nadal's next match is at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship
Rafael Nadal will start his warmup for the new season at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi next week. The singles exhibition tournament also features other prominent stars such as Emma Raducanu, Andy Murray and Andrey Rublev.
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Nadal won the last edition in 2019, as the 2020 tournament was canceled due to the pandemic. The Spaniard will play in the semifinals, with his opponent being the winner of the match between Andy Murray and Dominic Thiem.