Marc Marquez admits he almost quit MotoGP: 'I associated the paddock with pain'

Having already carved out a legacy which ranks him among the greatest riders the sport has ever seen, there were some doubts as to whether Marc Marquez would continue beyond 2026 or retire at the end of the season after suffering another injury in Mandalika. Marquez was forced to withdraw from the last four rounds of the 2025 season, but had already secured the championship throne by that point. The crash had aggrevated an existing shoulder injury dating back to 2020, and one which has come to define the second half of the 93's career, but once again he returned to action and showed every bit of the fighting spirit we are used to seeing. However, a number of big crashes in COTA, Jerez and Le Mans left Marquez with no choice but to undergo a double surgery and miss out the Catalan Grand Prix in May.

On his return, 'The Ant' managed a brave P7 finish in Mugello, then followed it up with back-to-back victories in Hungary and Czechia, placing him firmly in contention for the 2026 title. At Assen, Marquez struggled again with the physical demands of the track, but feels that he can return to his best at this weekend's German Grand Prix at one of his career-best circuits, The Sachsenring.

It's evident to see that Marquez has not been riding at 100% this year. After years of shoulder troubles, he had to have a screw removed from his shoulder after a prior operation. In Le Mans, it wasn't just his shoulder that took another beating when he high-sided during the Saturday sprint. The Spaniard also broke his foot in the accident, but only missed the Catalan weekend before he was back in action.

Speaking with DAZN, Marquez revealed the extent of the torment he has suffered due to the mounting injuries and wants to have a more laid-back mentality when it comes to the final years of his MotoGP career:

"There were times when I didn't want to walk into the paddock because I associated it with pain," admitted Marquez, giving a rare insight into how even such a stoic-minded athlete can face moments of fear and self-doubt.

When asked about his aspirations to obtain another championship and surpass Valentino Rossi as the most successful rider of the modern era, Marquez had a different attitude to the one which has marked the majority of his career:

"I'd be incredibly proud to win a 10th title, but whether I retire with nine or 10 championships won't change my life. What I want is to finish my career enjoying racing. I don't want to end up burned out by MotoGP."

Marquez was also asked about whether he had watched the latest Netflix documentary 'Rafa' about the Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal. The documentary is known to be a brutal insight into Nadal's late career injuries and how he suffered a very difficult late career as a result, along with intense pressure from management and those around him to continue.

"I am not mentally prepared to watch the documentary about Nadal." said Marquez, "He talks about suffering and the end of his career.I really want to see it, but I'm not ready yet."

The pair have previously hung out together and regularly supported one another publicly. Nadal has previously praised Marquez for his perseverence through hardship and his winning mentality, which Marquez once called Nadal "one of the most important people in Spain."