22 Grand Slam titles, including a record 14 victories at Roland Garros. Rafael Nadal’s record of achievements commands admiration. Here’s a look back at the career of a sportsman who made his mark from the age of 15.
‘I’m here to tell you that I’m retiring from professional tennis’. With these words, Rafael Nadal announced his retirement from tennis on 10 October. The 38-year-old Spaniard will play his last match in mid-November, during the Davis Cup finals. ‘It’s obviously a difficult decision, and it’s taken me a long time to make it. But in this life, everything has a beginning and an end. I think it’s the right time to end this long career, which has been much more fruitful than I could ever have imagined. A career that began in 2001 and has continued to impress the sporting world ever since.
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A promising start
Born in Mallorca, Spain, in 1986, Rafael Nadal soon had a racket in his hands. His left, to be precise. Preferring tennis to football and basketball, which he had also played in his youth, the young sportsman played in, and won, his first official competition at the age of eight.
After several tournaments, including the landmark Open Super 12 in Auray, he turned professional in 2001, at the age of 14, when he won a match against Pat Cash, then aged 36. A year later, he won his first official match on clay.
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In 2003, he joined the ATP World Tour and finished the year, after the Hamburg and Wimbledon tournaments, in 46th place among the world’s best players. A year later, he was selected for the Spanish Davis Cup team, winning all his matches and helping his native country to victory.
But it was in 2005 that the public really got to know Rafael Nadal. Barely of age, he won the legendary French Open. He and clay seemed to be one and the same, and everyone was impressed by his technique, his powerful shots, his phenomenal left arm, his lifted game and his ability to exploit his opponents’ weak points.
After winning his first Grand Slam at the French Open, he went on to win and lose a series of tournaments. Rafael Nadal began to play more and more against Roger Federer, who would remain his great friend throughout his career.
22 Grand Slams under his belt
The 4th most successful player in history, Rafael Nadal has lifted 92 trophies, including 36 Masters 1000 and 22 Grand Slams. These include 14 victories at Roland Garros. All titles that have earned him the number two ranking, just behind Roger Federer. Rafael Nadal nevertheless managed to dethrone him for 46 weeks, reaching pole position.
But the sporting world will now exist without the tennis player. In a month’s time, he will be retiring, which has not failed to provoke a reaction from his peers. Roger Federer said: “What a career, Rafa! I always hoped this day would never come. Thank you for the unforgettable memories and all your achievements in the game we love. It’s been an absolute honour.”
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Novak Djokovic said: “Rafa, a single message is not enough to express the respect I have for you and what you have done for our sport. You have inspired millions of children to start playing tennis, and I think that is probably the greatest achievement anyone could wish for.”
And Jannik Sinner, currently world number 1, described him as “an incredible person. He taught us how to behave on the court, how to handle situations on the court… He also taught us to remain humble, not to change with success”.
A well-deserved break for Nadal, the Olympic torchbearer at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympics in Paris, who has left an indelible mark on the history of tennis and sport in general. It remains to be seen what the athlete will do next to occupy his days. Perhaps a future as a businessman within the many businesses he has invested in, or prospects as a coach at the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar he has set up in Mallorca? See other dreams in the sporting world…
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Featured photo : Rafael Nadal © Richard Mille
