Rafael Nadal was considered only a red clay specialist in the early years of his career and few imagined that he could win prestigious titles on other surfaces as well. Despite the general skepticism, the Spaniard has never stopped working on his game until he has become a very strong player on all fields.
The former world number 1 has made tennis history above all thanks to his 14 triumphs at the French Open, a record that is unlikely to ever be broken, but it would be very unfair to limit Rafa's legacy to only that number.
The legend from Manacor has also won two Australian Open titles, two Wimbledon titlesand four US Open titles, testifying to the versatility he has acquired over the years. As if that were not enough, Nadal has also won two gold medals at the Olympics (one in singles in Beijing 2008 and one in doubles in Rio 2016) and has dragged his Spain to victory in the Davis Cup several times.
His glorious career ended at the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga last month, although fans were disappointed by a somewhat sad farewell ceremony that fell short of expectations. The 22-time Grand Slam champion dreamed of lifting the trophy again, but Spain's run ended already in the quarterfinals.
A big regret
Despite the injuries that have haunted him for most of his career, the Spaniard can have no regrets. However if there is one title that Rafa would have really liked to win it is certainly the ATP Finals. Rafa has never been able to break this curse for different reasons. The Finals are played on the surface least suited to Nadal's game, the indoor hard court, which is why the Spaniard has repeatedly proposed moving to the red clay.
In addition, Rafa often arrived not in top condition in the last part of the season and unable to play his best tennis. Despite all these aspects, the 14-time French Open champion has twice reached the final at the ATP Finals in 2010 and 2013 respectively losing to his eternal rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
During a long interview with The National, Rafa discussed his struggles at the ATP Finals: "I was a little bit unlucky that at the end of the season I was not in my best shape physically. A lot of time with injuries. Then I had very difficult rivals in front and I played all my career ATP Finals in indoor fast courts, on indoor hard, and at the beginning indoor carpet.
He also added: "But nothing to complain. If you ask me what I would have liked to win, of course I would love to have one of these. I had my chances; I was not able to convert them. Thats fine.
Rafa on his future
After pondering his future for a long time and thinking about playing a few tournaments in 2025 as well, the 22-time Grand Slam champion decided it was the right time to start a new chapter in his life.
The results obtained in 2024 showed that it was impossible for him to return to compete for the most prestigious titles and his body continued to send him very clear signals. Nadal has had several injuries again this year, the last of which on the eve of the match against Nole Djokovic at the Paris Olympics. The Olympic tournament was one of his main goals of the season, and the way it faded convinced him to say goodbye to professional tennis at the end of 2024.
Everyone is wondering what Rafa will do after retirement. In the same interview, the Spanish legend spoke about his future and legacy: "When I was a kid, I played almost every sport. Of course, during my tennis career, I had to stop. I really believe that after my career Im going to come back, recover all these years that I was not able to do all the things that I love to do. That in some way makes me feel free and happy.
The 14-time French Open champion also added: "I hope that my legacy is that I always tried to treat others with deep respect. This was the golden rule of my parents. When I was a kid, my father would always tell me, "Inventing is hard. Copying is much easier." He wasnt talking about tennis.
It was about life. Look around you and notice the people you admire. How they treat people. What you love about them. Act like them, and you will probably live a happy life. I carried that lesson with me into every match I ever played.
