Rafael Nadal has never broken a tennis racquet in his life. The Spanish player stands in sharp contrast to players like Novak Djokovic, who, according to a statistic shared on social media, has broken 62 racquets over the course of his professional career. Roger Federer, who’s known as a cool and collected player, has broken six racquets while playing.

An interview with Toni Nadal, Nadal’s uncle and long time coach, he explained why Nadal has never broken a tennis racquet, not even as a child.

In an interview with the Spanish publication La Razon, Toni discussed Nadal’s relationship to tennis and to racquets themselves. “It would have upset me for two reasons,” he said in Spanish. “First, because of respect, especially about things that aren’t easy to acquire. Secondly, for giving into despair.”

In 2020, Nadal also discussed why he’d never broken any racquets. “My family wouldn’t have allowed me to break a racquet,” he said in Spanish. “For me, to break a racquet it would be to lose control of my emotions.”

Nadal confirms he won’t play at the Qatar Open

A couple of hours ago, Rafael Nadal confirmed he wouldn’t be playing at the Qatar Open due to his physical condition. He shared a photo on social media of his 2014 win in the tournament and an accompanying statement.

“I would have loved to play in Doha, where the tournament team, as well as the amazing Qatar fans have always supported me greatly. Unfortunately I am yet not ready to compete and I won’t be able to come to Doha where I really wanted to be and play again after that unforgettable win in 2014,” he wrote.