What Happened to Rafael Nadal’s Foot? His Painful Injury Explained
"Right on the limit of what was acceptable."
Published May 28 2026, 11:19 a.m. ET
Rafael Nadal is widely considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time, but much of his historic career reportedly came while competing through severe physical pain. The Spanish tennis legend recently opened up about the long-term foot condition that followed him throughout his years on the ATP Tour.
In his Netflix documentary RAFA, Rafael discussed the rare degenerative condition that caused constant pain and visibly changed the shape of his foot over time. Photos from the documentary also sparked renewed conversation online among tennis fans and Reddit users reacting to the injury.
What happened to Rafael Nadal’s foot?
Rafael revealed that he was diagnosed with Muller-Weiss syndrome in 2005, just a few years after turning professional. The rare condition affects the tarsal navicular bone in the foot and can gradually cause the bone to collapse, deform, and create chronic pain.
Doctors reportedly first believed Rafael was dealing with a fracture before later discovering the much more serious degenerative condition. Despite the diagnosis, he continued competing at the highest level for nearly two decades while managing the pain through treatments, medication, and physical therapy.
The documentary also revealed a striking image of Rafael’s foot that showed a large bulge across the top area. Fans on Reddit and social media reacted with shock after seeing the physical toll years of professional tennis had taken on the 22-time Grand Slam champion.
What is Muller-Weiss syndrome?
As per WebMD, Muller-Weiss syndrome is a rare degenerative condition involving the navicular bone in the foot. Over time, the condition can cause the bone to collapse or deform, leading to chronic pain, mobility problems, and difficulty placing pressure on the foot while walking or running.
Because tennis places repeated stress on the feet through quick stops, pivots, and explosive movement, many fans expressed disbelief that Rafael managed to continue competing for so long. Some Reddit users even described the condition as looking “painful” and “brutal” after viewing screenshots from the documentary.
Rafael admitted during the documentary that he regularly pushed his body “right on the limit of what was acceptable” in order to continue competing. He also claimed he may have won “10 or 12 fewer” Grand Slam titles if he had not taken significant health risks during his career.
Rafael Nadal said he lived with “constant pain.”
Rafael also spoke candidly about relying on anti-inflammatory medication throughout portions of his career while trying to remain competitive. The former world No.1 explained there were periods when he lived with “constant pain” while balancing medical advice with his desire to continue playing.
The tennis icon ultimately retired in 2024 following one of the most successful careers in sports history. Even with the physical challenges he endured, Rafael still finished his career with 22 Grand Slam singles titles and a reputation as one of tennis’s toughest competitors.
Fans continue praising Rafael’s accomplishments even more after learning the extent of the injury issues he managed behind the scenes. For many tennis supporters, the documentary offered a rare look at the physical sacrifices that shaped his legendary career.