Rafael Nadal revealed the toll, a 21-year career has taken on his body during an interview with a reporter, saying he is in pain “every single day.”

Nadal staggered into his post-match press conference after his round of 16 triumph over David Goffin, which was settled by a marathon third-set tiebreaker, causing a journalist to inquire about his evident discomfort.

“Don’t worry,” said the 21-time grand slam champion. “My foot hurts sometimes when I play.”

“You wouldn’t be concerned if you saw me every day. My foot is often in discomfort, especially after a three-hour match or a long training session. I end up walking really awkwardly.”

“However, I have a persistent injury for which there is no cure. That’s a part of my life, and it’s one of the drawbacks of not being able to finish the game sooner.”

“In the near term, I believe I am physically alright, but my feet must adapt to competition. It needs to adjust to the pressure that matches like today put on me.”

“In the short term, it’s fine, but I’m also thinking about tomorrow. It’s a little more challenging since I could wake up tomorrow with new challenges, which we must embrace and address.”

Nadal has been plagued by injuries throughout his career, and he is only now recovering from a rib ailment sustained in March at Indian Wells, which threatened to keep him out of the 2018 French Open.

Nadal was forced to miss the second part of 2021 due to a foot issue after suffering a back injury at the start of the season.

He was unable to compete at Wimbledon or the Olympics during that time off.

All of his infirmities only added to his brilliance when he won his record-breaking 21st grand slam at the Australian Open in early 2022, en route to a personal best 20-0 start to a season.