Rafael Nadal, a mental giant ready to bow out

The final moments of an exciting career for the Spanish legend Rafael Nadal have arrived. The tennis great has announced that the Davis Cup final knock out phase, starting today at Malaga in Spain, will be his last appearance on the competitive field, virtually putting an end to his illustrious career.  ‘All good things must come to an end” says a famous quote that comes to mind at this juncture as the great man who had captured the imagination of tennis fans the world over for over two decades prepares to say good bye. Indeed, the glittering phase of this classic player, who along with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic formed the famous ‘big three’ in the tennis world and delighted with their court craft, healthy rivalry and sharing of the grand spoils of major tournaments, will surely be etched in golden letters in the history of tennis.

Federer left, leaving a void and with Nadal’s decision to pull the curtains, it will be tennis that will be poorer for it.  Djokovic is still there of course and indeed new talents are springing up like Carlos Alacaraz himself for instance, considered eminent enough to take over from Nadal and keep the Spanish legacy continuing in all glory. Yet, old is gold as they say and players like Nadal come once in a generation and tennis fans of all ages will testify what scintillating experiences he had given them all with his tennis artistry and more. That his record 14 wins in the French Open still stands is testimony to his greatness as the ‘king of clay’. Overall, with 22 Grand Slam titles, his feat may have been overhauled by Djokovic (24) but that does not take away the kind of presence he had on the tennis courts, the world over.

As if this is not enough, just one glance at his achievements would be enough to know what a giant he was.  He had been a number one ranked player in singles for 209 weeks, won 92 ATP-level singles titles, won an Olympics singles gold at the Beijing Games in 2008 and what is more he became the youngest man in the Open era at 24 years to achieve a career Grand Slam and the first man to win majors on three different tennis surfaces in the same year!  A gold medal in doubles in the Rio Olympics in 2016 with Marc Lopez and taking Spain to four Davis Cup titles are some additional highlights. As it happens his final steps on the courts are going to be in the Davis Cup competition and can he steer his country once again to the victory podium and leave the stage with a dream finish? Well greatness need not have an expiry date!

Undoubtedly there are sports greats whose career path virtually have been like living a dream. Footballers from Brazil in particular come up with such super stories. There it is said even as a child learns to walk its interest straight away is to kick a ball! We know how many Brazilian greats have come up that way.  Nadal can perhaps be included into this category. For at age 3, he had his first feel of a tennis racquet, thanks to his uncle Toni Nadal. Interest and passion followed before long and Nadal’s journey into the world of tennis had truly begun in all earnestness. With another Spanish tennis great Carlos Moya, a former world number one, taking him under his wings, the champion in Nadal had begun to emerge, never to lie low!.  As it happened, another uncle of his, Miguel Angel was a world cup football level player and his exploits caught on Nadal’s interest and so football too turned into another passion. As it happened it was tennis which was lucky when Nadal finally decided which sport it would be!

It did not take long for Nadal to show his substance. At age 15, he had won his first ATP match and in four years’ time from there on, Nadal had won his first Grand Slam title, the French Open! This clay surface became a penchant for him as he went on to establish an unparalleled supremacy, particularly on clay courts. Observers say what stood out about this Spanish legend was his attitude, his ability to give his all. There was never an off day for him and each point was won with an intensity that classified him as a truly aggressive player. Even as a 12-year-old, his Coach Moya would say, he was super-ambitious and the intensity of play proved just that.  Nothing best described the man than the 2012 Australian Open final where Nadal and Djokovic played close to six hours and in the end, the brutal fight ended in the Spaniard’s favour. No wonder Djokovic preferred to call his famed rival, a ‘mental giant’.

For all his aggression, Nadal was known not just for his fire and fighting spirit but the kind of self-control he displayed on the court. He would never allow his emotions to unsettle him, rather would keep searching for solutions and adjustments, all in pursuit of  just one goal- victory!  As they say, tennis needs players of such charisma. Federer had long been a crowd favourite for this reason and the Spaniard is no less behind. Only then can deliver the kind of thrill and emotions which makes tennis such an exciting sport.

Injuries and medical lay off may have spoiled Nadal’s career graph a bit but the man’s eagerness to bounce back was always phenomenal. Now as he gets ready for the Davis Cup outing, the focus will be on Nadal, fitness notwithstanding, and as his young colleague Alcaraz put, “ I really want him to retire with a title.” Millions of his fans too would be praying for that.