During Roland Garros this year, Netflix released Rafa, a four-part documentary series following Rafael Nadal’s expansive career, including his final year competing on the professional tennis tour.
But the story delves into much more than that, giving an exclusive look into who the Spaniard is beyond the court and featuring intimate moments with his family and inner circle.
“My feeling was that there almost was too much tennis in the project and we really wanted this to be a global audience and not necessarily only tennis fans, so it became much more about the person,” the documentary’s director, Zach Heinzerling, revealed on this week’s episode of The Sit-Down podcast.
While filming commenced at the 2024 Brisbane International, the project – which recently received an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Documentary Series – quickly changed course after Nadal sustained an injury at the tournament and was forced to withdraw from the Australian Open.
“From there we really didn't know what the story was going to be or if he was going to continue with the documentary or with the season. There were a lot of unknowns at that point,” Heinzerling recalled.
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“But then things shifted and the story actually became much more about: why can't he stop playing?
“He kept continuing and soldiering on, even though it seemed like even amongst his team there were a lot of doubts whether his body could sustain another season. And that became the question: what is it about him that makes him incapable of stopping at the end of a career?
“Because they are actually all of the same reasons why he was the great player that he was.”
Nadal, lauded for his steely resolve and never-give-up attitude, lets his guard down throughout the documentary in a previously-unseen way.
“I think when you see Rafa kind of tearing up, there’s a sensitivity there that exists. For some athletes, they don't necessarily want to reveal that side of themselves, but that's honestly what I love most about Rafa is that he just feels more human to me,” said Heinzerling, a Sundance Film Festival award-winning director.
“I've done profiles on other athletes and celebrities in general and I feel like Rafa because of where he's from, because of his family, because of the kind of ethos and upbringing that he had, he's just very himself. He's very real and he's very down to earth, and he experiences emotions in a similar way to a lot of us.
“The fact that he was willing to show that was very brave in itself.”
Heinzerling, who has covered sport through his work on 24/7, approached Rafa with a curiosity and excitement about what sets tennis apart.
“I think it is a beautiful game to watch. I think it's a great game to profile somebody because it's an individual sport and all of these other sports whether we profile a soccer player or a basketball player, so much of their accomplishments are always depending on their teammates,” the director explained.
“The fact that it's you out there against somebody else in this arena, all eyes on you. Everything is exposed, every weakness that you potentially have is exposed. It makes for a very dramatic kind of battle, almost like a boxing spectacle. From a filmmaker's perspective, it allows you to be bigger with the way that you present it.”
The series also features never-before-seen archive footage and interviews with Nadal’s close circle to his rivals such as Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.
“I quickly found that you get a lot more from watching Rafa in his day-to-day and with his family and team than you would in any interview that he might give,” Heinzerling said, “because he shows himself through his actions.
“I think his actions are usually louder than words. It's how he respects the game, how he plays, how he treats others. It’s a way of being I think is very unique for a celebrity athlete of his calibre.”
Heinzerling hasn’t ruled out the possibility of covering more on-court stories.
“I find it to be a really beautiful sport, so I would love to do more tennis projects,” he said.
“I don't have anything you know immediately that I'm doing tennis related, but I do love it as a sport.”
Listen to the full episode of The Sit-Down, a weekly podcast released each Monday featuring an in-depth interview with a notable tennis identity. Subscribe in your favourite podcast player so you never miss an episode.