Rafael Nadal had an unfiltered reaction after he received some honest feedback about his golf swing from two-time US Open champion Andy North. The Spaniard stood by his technique, defending his “tight” swing despite the criticism.

Since retiring from tennis, Nadal has taken a deeper interest in golf. While he often played during his tennis career, he is now able to dedicate more time to the sport and approach it more seriously.

The Spaniard recently joined SportsCenter for a chat during The Masters Tournament, one of the four major championships in professional golf. During a candid segment on the show, Nadal’s swing was judged by Andy North. The former American golfer had some words of advice for Nadal:

“Rafa, I’ve admired you for years… I’m really excited about looking at your golf swing… Don’t take this personally… A little bit tight. It looks like a little bit of a two-handed forehand, but really gets to your left side really well… maybe just relax your arms a little bit. You’ve got a good shoulder turn. There’s a lot to work with there…”

In his defence, the 39-year-old said he has never taken formal lessons for his golf swing and believes it resembles his tennis backhand.

“I never took a lesson on my golf swing. I think I play like a backhand of tennis,” he said.

“I have a lot of issues that I cannot bring my shoulder higher, I need to open my stance because of my foot, so I have a lot of body issues that don’t allow me to do things a little bit better,” he added.

He admitted to several physical limitations but added that he still enjoys the challenge and is always motivated to improve.

Rafael Nadal described his experience of attending The Masters Tournament

For Rafael Nadal, golf has always been more than just a hobby. Even during his tennis career, he often turned to the sport as a way to relax while still feeding his competitive side.

Now, with more free time after stepping away from tennis, his connection with golf has grown stronger. The 14-time French Open champion recently attended The Masters Tournament, calling the experience “a dream come true,” and describing the atmosphere as something truly special.

“The atmosphere is huge. It’s difficult to compare to something else, I think,” he said in an interview with ESPN in Georgia. “The fact that nobody can have a cell phone, it’s a brilliant idea, brilliant rule, from my point of view, because everybody’s just focused on what the eyes can see. This place is magical.’

He has followed the event since childhood and remains a genuine fan of the game. Despite joking about having a “terrible swing,” Nadal continues to enjoy the challenge and plays golf regularly.