Nadal: It is Vinicius who needs to improve and compete, he needs to understand who is the authority

Spanish tennis superstar Nadal accepted an interview with Valdano, during which he talked freely about life after retirement, Real Madrid and other topics.

Nadal said he feels calmer since retiring because he no longer has to bear the pressure of competing every day. He said: "This kind of pressure can sometimes make people exhausted and ultimately prevent you from enjoying happiness."

Every word Nadal said is full of profound meaning. "I kept trying to stay competitive until the end. This convinced me that it was time to make this decision and that my gas tank was empty. I was not retiring because I was tired of tennis or lacked motivation, but my body could no longer withstand the high level of competition."

Talking about the current competition between Alcaraz and Sinner, Nadal said that they may have been influenced by the "Big Three" (Federer, Djokovic and himself), that is, "being the fiercest rivals without losing friendship." Their coexistence makes each other better.

"Because in our time, all three of them were constantly improving. If there was only one person, maybe he would have stagnated after reaching the peak. But with three people competing, there was no room for relaxation. So, we ended up winning 24, 22 and 20 Grand Slams."

For the future, Nadal did not reveal much plans, except for the work of academies and foundations that are being opened around the world. However, he also had to answer Real Madrid's questions. Regarding whether he wants to become the chairman of Real Madrid in the future, he responded: "Now they have the best people. I don't know, conceptually, it is a beautiful thing. But if it is really going to happen, I need to be ready. I hope to have the opportunity to consider it, but I am not sure."

Finally, regarding the relationship between Alonso and Vinicius, Nadal said: "I think it was handled well and the problem can be solved through dialogue. Vinicius needs to understand who is the authority. The first person who needs to improve and compete is Vinicius because he needs strong allies."