Rafael Nadal had the ability to remain competitive at the highest level for a long time, despite having to play in the same era as two other legends such as Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. Their rivalry has taken away important titles from each of them, but none of them would have had such a long career if they had not been pushed to improve by the others.
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The Big 3 motivated each other and continued to improve their game even after winning everything. Men's tennis has undergone a major transformation over the past couple of years, and new hierarchies have been created, with Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz taking control of the situation.
Federer retired in 2022 due to a serious knee injury, while Nadal said goodbye to professional tennis this year at the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga. In reality, Rafa's career had begun its downward parabola for a couple of years due to the repeated injuries that have tormented his body.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion tried in every way to postpone his fate, but the results obtained in 2024 convinced him to end his legendary career. The former world No. 1 said goodbye to his fans in Malaga and thanked everyone who helped make his trip so special.
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After retiring, the former Spanish champion spent time with his family in Marbella and took a little vacation. Subsequently, the 14-time French Open champion was spotted together with his sister at Anfield Road to watch the Champions League match between Liverpool and Real Madrid. Everyone knows that Rafa is a huge Real Madrid fan, although his uncle Miguel Angel was a Barcelona defender for a long time.
Guardiola pays tribute to Rafa
This week, the Spaniard also visited the City Football Academy in Manchester. The former world No. 1 met Manchester City stars such as Haaland and Grealish, as well as their manager Pep Guardiola. Manchester City is going through the worst moment of Guardiolas era and the crisis has been accentuated by the draw against Feyenoord in the Champions League. Guardiola's team will have a really important match against Liverpool tomorrow, which could already address this edition of the Premier League.
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In his press conference on Friday, Guardiola spoke about his conversation with Nadal: "Rafa is one of the most incredible athletes of our time. I know he is a Real Madrid fan and came here to go to Anfield to watch theLiverpool-Real Madrid Champions League match, but before that, as his uncle and I were teammates in Barcelona... It was a pleasure to see him. He is one of the most incredible athletes of this era."
Pep also added: "We talked about sports, about how difficult it is to maintain success for so many years, as Federer and Djokovic have done for many years. In the end, he had to retire due to injuries; otherwise, he would be here. He said an incredible phrase: 'I love to play, I want to play tennis, but my body says thats enough.'
In a career as a football player, tennis is a sport you desire, but your body says it's enough. He wanted it desperately; he loves tennis and wants to play it. Sometimes, the human body has limits, and its a sport where he ended up exhausted after many games, and in football, the same happens.
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Nadal isa source of inspiration
The Spaniard is also a source of inspiration for athletes in other sports, having transcended tennis and having shown the whole world how to overcome their limits. No one thought Nadal's career would be so long, especially considering that he has had many serious injuries during his journey in professional tennis.
The former world number 1 is the top player who has missed the most Grand Slam tournaments during his career, but he retired without regrets and with the awareness that he has always given his best on the court. The 14-time French Open champion had turned his habits upside down in the last one to try to become competitive again.
He had abandoned his routine of intensive training, he had dedicated himself to his passions, he had taken a break from tennis, but his body had nothing more to give to this sport. Rafa understood this the day before the match against Nole Djokovic at the Paris Olympics, when an injury prevented him from playing at his best on the iconic Philippe Chatrier.
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The Spaniard reflected on his future in the following months by sifting through all the hypotheses, before announcing to the whole world that his career would end in the last official event of the season.
