Credit: Netflix

When you start talking about Rafael Nadal, it never really feels like you are just talking about a player, right? He is so much bigger than that. It won’t be wrong to name an era of tennis just after him, as he has been the face of the sport for an entire generation. And now, Netflix is stepping into that story with Rafa, a new documentary that looks at his career but, more importantly, where he stands right now.

Nadal is someone who didn’t just win matches but made sure to drag matches into places no one else wanted to go. Do you remember the long rallies? Oh, those five-set battles! Those were the days. For those who are wondering how this man is still going, it’s been almost twenty years.

It was impossible to stop Netflix from making a documentary on this legend because it’s important that his story reaches everywhere. Hence, the platform is bruising us, Rafa.

Because Rafa, which is set to release on May 29th, isn’t going back to show you the usual highlight reel of the player. You already know that part; everyone does. The trophies, the celebrations, the dominance on clay, especially at Roland Garros, where he’s won 14 titles, which still sounds ridiculous when you say it out loud. Add to that 22 Grand Slam wins overall and the time spent as world number one. Of course, it will be impossible without mentioning those legendary matches against Federer and Djokovic… but that story has already been told.

What this series does is something different. It is looking at Nadal now. The version of him that’s still competing but also dealing with injuries and recovery. You are not just watching matches here but witnessing what it takes for him to even get to those matches.

The first thing will be the training that has carved the man Nadal is today. But it’s also about the constant question of whether his body will hold up. And that’s where things take a turn because Nadal’s whole career has been built on pushing through things. Hasn’t that always been his identity? But here, you start to see what that actually costs. You see, every comeback isn’t just about form and not just in tennis but in any other sport you take. The real ones know that it’s about whether he can physically do it again. Whether it’s worth doing it again.

Rafa is also going to open up his world a little more. You will see the people around him, and that includes his family, his coach, his friends and everyone that’s been with him for years. Nadal has always stayed close to where he comes from, especially Mallorca, and that part of his life hasn’t really changed even as his career became global. They will keep that balance and won’t separate the player from the person.

Obviously, there’s the era he played in. Because what’s Nadal without his beloved sport? This guy survived one of the toughest periods in tennis. Federer on one side, Djokovic on the other, and every major tournament feels practically like a battle. That rivalry here is a crucial part of the story.

But what’s really beautiful about Rafa is that it’s not wrapping up the story. It’s still going. This documentary isn’t a farewell piece. It stays in the present, where Nadal is still trying to compete at the highest level. And that’s what makes this worth watching.

Block your calendars for May 29th because Nadal is coming to your Netflix screens, and this time, not to play.