The former world number 1’s retirement is fast approaching. Following years of success and injury, Nadal’s racket will be hung up for the final time at the Davis Cup finals next month, ending a glittering career.
On 10th October, via social media, his withdrawal from the sport that has seen him secure a number of remarkable titles, was announced. Throughout his career, Nadal has become one of the most decorated male tennis players of all time with: 22 grand slams, 14 French Open singles, four time US Open’s champion, two time Wimbledon champion, two Olympic golds, and 209 weeks as world number one under his belt.
Nadal is best known for his performance on clay, being widely recognised as The King of Clay, winning 81 consecutive matches. His ability to use his opponents’ weaknesses to his own advantage is something that has been deeply respected within the world of tennis. He has earned his spot as one of the ‘Big Three’, alongside Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
Djokovik defeated Nadal at the Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia earlier this week (6-2, 7-6(5)), ending a 15 year rivalry. Their final match proved to be an emotional one. Having battled it out 60 times over the years (with Nadal winning 29 and Djokovic 31) his long time rival pleaded against his planned retirement – “Don’t leave tennis, man“. (Djokovic on court after defeating the Spaniard for the final time). In turn Nadal thanked him for an “amazing rivalry“ which allowed him to, for some time, dominate the men’s singles scene.
Despite having rarely played over the past two seasons, his legacy and position as a player still stands strong. With his career coming to an end, I can’t help but wonder what else he could have achieved if he wasn’t so unfortunate with his injuries. Yet his ability to champion major tournaments has been proven time and time again. His performance on both clay and any other court will undoubtedly leave a timeless imprint on the history of tennis forever.
Appreciation for him and his craft has been heavily apparent over the recent weeks, with Spanish prodigy, Carlos Alcaraz, reflecting on their years as mentor and mentee via Instagram – “From the child who watched you on TV and dreamed of becoming a tennis player, to the one who had the immense gift of playing alongside you at Roland Garros representing Spain in the Olympic Games!… your legacy is unrepeatable.”
Nadal has a legacy I can’t ever fully appreciate – he came into the ranks at a time I wasn’t old enough to understand his sheer significance to the sport. Yet as the ‘Big Three’ becomes the Big Two, I hope everyone truly cherished every moment of the last 20 or so years. And, I fear that with the retirements of other sporting greats, such as Andy Murray, tennis may never be the same again. Though I will say I’m excited to see new and emerging talent rise to the top, Nadal, like Murray, is irreplaceable – especially on clay.
The time now in sport seems golden. We’ve watched Nadal and Djokovic share the stage, Curry and James, Hamilton and Verstappen, Messi and Ronaldo. What an incredible era to witness.