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Having just played his final match, Rafael Nadal will surely appreciate these words from President Theodore Roosevelt’s speech:
“Credit belongs to the man who is actually in the field, whose face is stained with dust, sweat, and blood. Who strives bravely. Who errs, who falls short again and again, for without error and omission There is no effort. But who actually tries to do it. He who spends himself in a worthy cause; who knows best that at last Successes are triumphant, and who is the worst, if they If he fails, at least he fails with great courage, so that his place is not with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”
It was brilliant Nadal. No tennis player better personified Roosevelt’s concept of “The Man in the Arena.”
As well as Nadal covering the court, as brilliant as he was with great shots under pressure, his brilliance was furthered by the sheer love for battle and the competitive intensity he brought. Point after point. It was that superpower that led Nadal to 92 ATP singles titles—including 22 Grand Slams, second most in men’s tennis history—209 weeks at world No. 1, top 10, five deuces. Record wins for 912 consecutive weeks within the Cup team, two Olympic gold medals.
In a happy sort of coincidence that delights storytellers, Roosevelt gave a speech in Paris. Arguably, this is where Nadal most emphatically and literally left his footprints on tennis history, stunning hearts by winning 14 men’s singles titles at Roland Garros. One of Nadal’s great rivals, Roger Federer, graces the Wimbledon grass in all its velvety beauty. Leave the man Nadal has played more than any other, Novak Djokovic, to mesh perfectly with the hard courts at Melbourne Park.
Give Nadal the ground – that finely ground red brick that demands so much of the body, mind and soul. Compiling a record of 112-4 at Roland Garros, Nadal took clay court tennis to new heights. Yes, there have been other great left-handers who have combined top spin and fitness to win titles: Guillermo Villas in 1977, Thomas Mister in 1995. Next up was Bornborg, whose Swede’s superior poise and innovative use of topspin took him to six Roland Garros. Gyros titles. Nadal went further than the greats, dominating them all with a forehand commanding one rally after another. Unable to play at Roland Garros in 2003 and 2004 due to injury, Nadal won the title for the first time in 2005, the same week he turned 19.
Of Nadal’s 60 matches with Djokovic (31-29 in favor of Novak), 11 have come at Roland Garros, including one at this year’s Olympic Games. Nadal won eight. None was more dramatic than their 2013 semi-final. Although Djokovic led 4-3 in the fifth set, Nadal stormed back, eventually ending the 4-hour, 37-minute epic 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-7 (3). Won by 9. -7.
Yet as Nadal grew, he remained forever grounded, as gracious as a sportsman. Sure, like many tennis champions, Nadal excelled at managing his time between points, often pushing the limits of the shot clock, but in the bigger picture, his behavior was exemplary – Nadal A logical extension of parenting.
Nadal’s values were strongly shaped by his family. He grew up in Mallorca, an island off the coast of Spain, in the town of Menacor. Nadal’s father, Sebastien, was a successful businessman known for being exceptionally friendly and positive.
When it comes to sports, Nadal was shaped by two uncles who understood competition at the highest level. One was Miguel Angel, a brilliant soccer player who played in three Spanish World Cup teams and the FC Barcelona squad. Miguel’s tough style earned him the nickname, “The Beast of Barcelona”. There is no doubting how Rafa coped.
But Miguel’s influence on Rafa was undoubtedly secondary to that of Tony Nadal. Essays could be written about Tony Nadal’s philosophy – not just for tennis but for life. While one statement hardly does justice to all the ways Toni played the young Rafa, perhaps this one comes closest: it’s better to be a good person than a good tennis player.
Although young Rafa was hardly a troublemaker, Tony’s training emphasized politeness, and constantly instilled in his nephew the need to respect all aspects of humanity. This was in contrast to the way many family members raise their gifted tennis player to think he is the center of the universe. “When you think you’re the king of the world,” Tony once said, “you’re really a fool in my opinion because everyone is important in this life.”
It was these kinds of lessons that helped Nadal become a kinder competitor. But make no mistake, Tony was also a taskmaster, spending hours on court drilling Rafa in the basics of technique, strategy and toughness. Tony was also the one who suggested that Rafa, a natural righty who initially moved away from both sides with two hands, should start hitting the one-handed left forearm. Little did they both know how that bullet would set the world on fire.
Another fortunate factor that helped Nadal’s growth was the presence of a world-class player in his orbit. A fellow Mallorcan, Carlos Moya, won Roland Garros in 1998, the same month Nadal turned 12.
An important origin story is that in Nadal’s early teens, Moya asked the young Rafa if he hoped to have as good a career as he did. It should be noted that Moya was once ranked No. 1 in the world. Asked, Nadal shook his head and said softly that he hoped to do even better.
Nadal was perhaps humbled. But he was also deeply driven. -tennis.com
