Retired tennis legend Rafael Nadal reveals his most regretful loss

The Spaniard has done it all, winning 22 Grand Slams - 14 times at Roland Garros - achieving world No 1 status, and lifting countless Masters 1000 titles.

However, Nadal has - somewhat inevitably - also had many heartbreaking losses.

"I believe that if I could play a game again, maybe it would be the 2014 Australian [Open] final, to see if I don't get hurt," said Nadal, speaking in a Q&A session on his new TikTok account.

In that 2014 final, the former world No 1 lost 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 to Stan Wawrinka - who collected his first Grand Slam title.

However, whilst it may seem like a 'typical' final loss, Nadal tweaked his back during the pre-match warmup.

The discomfort quickly became evident, especially within his serve and movement, and would have been a major blow to the Spaniard.

Heading into that match, Nadal had won all 12 matches and 26 sets contested against the Swiss. Additionally, he had won two of the last three Grand Slams - winning 26 consecutive hard-court matches from March to October 2013.

"I did not want to retire," stated the 22-time Grand Slam champion after the loss.

"It was not an easy situation for me. I tried hard. I tried to finish the match as good as I can, for the crowd, for the opponent, for me.

"But it was impossible to win this way. I have talked enough about the back. That's life. I've had a lot of great moments in my career, and that was a tough one.

That is part of life, part of sport. It is not the end of the world."

Nadal, in his usual humble style, stated: "A lot of people in this world have lots of very tough days. I'm not that kind of person. I feel very lucky to be able to work at something I love to do.

"It is tough tonight, and in a few weeks that's going to pass. I'm going to keep working, training hard. I'm going to keep enjoying this world of tennis.

"But this is Stan's day, not my day. It is very tough to stop him when he's playing that way. He's playing better and better, with amazing confidence, hitting every ball very, very hard, moving great."

The Australian Open has been the site of numerous tough losses for Nadal, the most prominent of which was the record-breaking 2012 final against Novak Djokovic.

That match is the longest Grand Slam final at five hours and fifty-three minutes, with the scoreline ultimately being 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7 (5), 7-5 in Djokovic's favour.

The Spaniard had lost his last two Grand Slam finals against the Serb and missed a routine backhand wide whilst leading 4-2, 30-15 in the fifth set â- ultimately being broken back as a result.

"I'm not frustrated: I competed to the maximum," said Nadal about the match, in a 2024 interview.

"I am satisfied. I have given the most I had. I have played well. I have fought until the end. I lost. The other one beat me.

"This is sport: if you dedicate yourself to this, you either win or you lose."

Another 'regretful' match is likely his 2007 Wimbledon match against Roger Federer.

Heading into the showpiece match, the pair had won the last nine Grand Slam events - with Federer having also won the last four Wimbledon titles.

By 2007, it was clear to see that Nadal's grass-court game had improved vastly and was as equal to the Swiss' as any other opponent.

After 3 hours and 45 minutes, Federer's domination continued with a 7-6(7), 4-6, 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-2 victory over his young rival.

Similarly to his final against Djokovic in Melbourne, Nadal had multiple chances to gain a crucial lead in the fifth set - unable to take the opportunities at 2-2 on Federer's serve.