Rafael Nadal ends his career – a bow

At last he was barely recognizable. The way he stood on the pitch, with those two deep wrinkles on his forehead that tightened a little more with every ball he hit. At most, they relaxed when he looked into the stands at his wife and his son, a sweet guy with big brown eyes who always carries a tennis racket with him and claps when Dad looks at him.

Rafael junior is the miniature version of his father and his happiness, which you can see when Rafael senior picks him up after his games and beams as if he had won the French Open for the 15th time. Maybe it was because of the little guy that Rafael Nadal delayed the end of his career for so long; he wanted the junior to experience him for a while longer where he was one of the greatest for more than two decades – and often too the Greatest: Rafael Nadal led the world rankings for 209 weeks, he won 22 Grand Slam titles, Olympic gold, the Davis Cup and more than 120 million euros in prize money.

But in his last games it was almost a little painful to watch him because his body, plagued by injuries, no longer wanted to – and there is always something tragic when exceptional athletes don’t make the jump. “I have suffered a lot in the past two years,” Nadal said recently, now he is drawing the line: “I am here to let you know that I am retiring from professional tennis,” he said in a video. He will appear once more, for Spain at the Davis Cup finals in November in Malaga – a matter of honor to say goodbye to the Spaniards at home.

Rafael Nadal – the horns of a bull as a logo

Rafael Nadal has set a monument for himself. Nobody will catch up with his 14 Grand Slam victories in Paris, on his beloved clay, any time soon – let alone overtake him. His duels with Roger Federer shaped the sport of tennis, on the court and beyond. Nadal and Federer fought matches that were more intense and fuller than anyone had ever seen – like the Wimbledon final in 2008, when Nadal won the fifth set against Federer, legendary 9:7. Nike, a sponsor of both players for many years, celebrated their rivalry with collections that featured Federer’s elegant RF logo, while Nadal was given the horns of a bull as a logo in the opposite design. Even if the Taurus demeanor didn’t suit him at all when he appeared off the pitch.

He has this nice, down-to-earth nature that made you like him. Especially in New York, where he repeatedly encountered Americans at the US Open who, in their search for records and greatness, tried to convince him that he was the greatest of all time. After his games on Center Court it sounded like this: “Rafa, you played today in front of 23,000 spectators who were all for you. Millions of people in the world love you. What makes you so special?” Nadal then looked as if he was supposed to explain the theory of relativity. He thought about it, then said, “I’m probably not the right person to answer that question.” Grin. “All I can say is I try to be fair, friendly. Deal with everyone correctly. I behave like a normal person.”

But of course he didn’t play like a normal person. With his crazy topspin forehand, his incredible power and his outsized fighting spirit. His balls shot over the net like exclamation marks: Watch out, my friend! “Rafa is the ultimate opponent, the greatest challenge you can have in our sport,” said Novak Djokovic in 2013 with respect, as if he were already talking about Nadal’s life’s work. Nadal had just won the US Open for the second time. In front of the eyes of the Spanish Queen Sofia, who had flown in especially for him. He skipped to his box and then to his queen, who extended her hand in honor. It was touching to watch him in his joy.

The season was one of his most emotional: Nadal had to take a break for almost seven months due to a knee injury and only returned to the tour in February. He then played 13 tournaments, reached the final twelve times and won ten titles, one of them at the French Open. And now Nadal also won in New York. What a comeback! Not that he was crazy about it, he just said he’d improved, “imprrrrrroved,” as it sounded in his quaint English. But over the years this also improved and he only needed three “r’s” for the word. What never stopped: Nadal constantly fidgeting with his shorts during the game. In the buttocks area.

Federer and Nadal – rivals became friends

Roger Federer would not have allowed himself such a quirk. That these two different guys became friends despite their rivalry is one of the most beautiful stories tennis has ever told. Roger Federer recently said that he believes that “there is much more respect for each other among the younger people today, through me and Rafa.”

The way the two of them sat on the bench after Federer’s last match, their doubles match at the 2022 Laver Cup in London, both sobbing and one hand on the other’s hand – that was epic. Nadal must have suspected back then that things wouldn’t be going well for him and professional sport for much longer. But his son was just born at that time, he got a new perspective. “Everything surprises you because everything is new. Especially with the first child, everything is 100 percent new for my wife and for me,” he said.

In his farewell video, he thanked Xisca Perelló, his wife, “for everything. We have been together for 19 years, she was my perfect travel companion.” It’s time to settle down with her and Rafael Jr. At home.