On October 10, Rafael Nadal officially announced his retirement. One of the best athletes in the world is leaving the stage. Three Olympic golds, 14 Roland Garros, 4 US Open, 2 Wimbledon, 2 Australian Open, 5 Davis Cups, 36 Master 1000, 92 titles in ATP tournaments… A myth, a legend, but above all, an athlete who has been and will always be an example for the new generations, for his knowing to be on the court, for his correctness and for his sportsmanship.
Nadal is the best tennis player in history on clay, as proven by his 14 titles in Paris, and the player with the highest number of consecutive victories on this surface (82). He is the tennis player with the most outdoors titles (90) and victories (985), and the tennis player with the most titles won on clay (63) in the entire Open Era.
He is the youngest male player in history to achieve the Golden Slam, which consists of achieving the four Grand Slams and the Olympic Games gold medal throughout his career, an achievement only shared with André Agassi and Novak Djokovic. And, also, along with the Serbian, he is one of the two, in history, to achieve the double Grand Slam. In addition, both tennis players are the only ones who have been able to win in the same year (Nadal in 2010, and Djokovic in 2021) three Grand Slams, on three different surfaces.
Nadal is the tennis player who has won the most times the same Grand Slam and Masters 1000 tournament: Roland Garros (14) and Monte Carlo (11), and the first to win at least one Grand Slam title for ten consecutive seasons: from 2005 to 2014. He was number one in the ATP Rankings for no less than 209 weeks. Moreover, he is the only player in history to be number one in three different decades: 2000, 2010 and 2020.
So far, these are the numbers that speak for themselves of the genius of an athlete who has reached the top of his sporting career. Numbers behind which one of the most privileged minds in the history of world sport is hidden. His competitive spirit, his incredible runs to return impossible shots, his sacrifice to overcome 21 injuries and to never give up a ball, his great comebacks against the toughest opponents… his winning mentality.
A powerful mind, which has been admired by all who have seen him on the court, which has allowed him to win against more technical and more physical opponents, especially in the critical moments of each match. A mind that has made him always behave like a gentleman on the courts of the five continents, never believing himself superior to anyone, without protesting the decisions of the judges, always shaking hands with his rivals.
There is only one last chance to see Rafa Nadal playing in official competition: the final phase of the Davis Cup, which will be held in Malaga (Spain) next November. The player from Manacor wanted his farewell to the courts, after a long sports career, to be defending his country’s t-shirt in the most important tennis team competition.
There, there will be an opportunity to say goodbye to the athlete, with a ¡Vamos, Rafa!
Credit: AIPS Media
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