“I don’t think I have been able to play without limitations,” said Rafael Nadal while announcing his retirement on October 10th from professional tennis. Rafael Nadal, despite losing his last Davis Cup match against Botic Van de Zandschulp, received a heartfelt farewell. Adding to the emotional moment, his sister Maribel Nadal publicly expressed her love for him.

Throughout a 2-decade long career that resulted in 92 career titles, including a record 63 on clay, 22 career grand slams and 4 Davis Cup titles, Rafael Nadal achieved it all. While his titles speak for themselves, he also managed to bag multiple awards, including the Best Male Tennis ESPY player (2011, 2013, 2022).While counting all the 20-year-old memories including him winning the US Open, French Open, and others, Nadal’s sister posted pictures with the caption, “20 years 🎾✈️🌏🥹 Thanks Rafel, family and team ❤️❤️🤜🏻🤛🏻.(Translated from Spanish)”

Moreover, Roger Federer, one of the Big 3, shared a bold and emotional message on social media (dated 19th November), expressing admiration for Nadal’s dedication and achievements. “You made me reimagine my game. Let’s start with the obvious: you beat me—a lot. More than I managed to beat you. You challenged me in ways no one else could,” said Federer in a long message posted for Nadal.

Nadal’s sister, Maribel, shared Federer’s heartfelt message on her Instagram Stories, expressing her gratitude with teary-eyed and heart emojis. She also tagged Federer in her post.

A touching video tribute, featuring messages from tennis legends like Roger Federer, Andy Murray, and David Beckham, brought tears to many eyes as it chronicled Nadal’s extraordinary career. The 38-year-old Spaniard, visibly moved, lingered on court in his iconic red, yellow, and white attire, delivering a heartfelt 12-minute speech to a crowd of 11,500 devoted fans. By this point, his trademark headband was gone.

His sister, Maribel Nadal, who has accompanied him to numerous courts worldwide, including his final Davis Cup appearance, was also present, alongside Rafa’s wife, Maria ‘Xisca’ Perello. The relationship between Rafael Nadal and his sister is a very special one. His sister once even revealed his brother’s over-protective side.

Rafael Nadal’s sister opens up on the over-protective side that his brother has

In the book, ‘Rafa: My Story’, published in August 2011,Isabel, who is 5 years younger than Rafael Nadal, shared about her brother’s overprotective nature and the softer side hidden beneath his warrior-like persona. She also described Nadal as an “unusual and overprotective big brother” who constantly checks in on her, no matter where he is in the world. “He calls her or texts ten times a day, wherever in the world he might be, and he gets into a terrible flap, she says, at the slightest suggestion that she might be falling ill,” she revealed.

She recalled a specific incident when Nadal “freaked out” over her health. “One time when he was away in Australia, my doctor ordered me to have some tests done—nothing too serious—but in all the messages I exchanged with Rafael, that was the one thing I didn’t mention. It would freak him out; it would risk throwing him completely off his game,” she said. Maribel also shared how Nadal’s inner circle witnessed his vulnerability during challenging times, adding that her brother is also “a bit of a scaredy cat.”

Thus, while being busy on the professional circuit, Nadal also manages to spare time for his family and loved ones while making sure that everyone around him is safe and sound. Her sister Maribel opened up on his softer side and how he fulfills the duties of being a big brother.