Rafael Nadal has been a nightmare for many players, especially on his favorite surface. Although at the beginning of his career he was considered only a specialist in red clay, the Spanish legend had the ability to improve on other surfaces as well, becoming an immortal icon of the sport.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion had the ability to play every point with maximum intensity and it was not easy for his opponents to keep up with his pace, especially in best-of-five sets. The former world No. 1 has had a successful career despite injuries, which have forced him to miss several major tournaments.
Rafael Nadal© YouTube screenshot
His career ended at the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga less than a month ago, where Rafa represented Spain for the last time in his glorious career. His last dance was below expectations from the point of view of results, but that does not affect an impressive legacy that makes him one of the best athletes of the modern era.
The legend from Manacor had a much longer run in professional tennis than expected, considering what insiders said about him at the beginning of his career. Nadal has shown that limits – as often happens – are only an illusion.
A legendary champion
Among the players who have been most affected by Rafa’s presence on the professional tour, there is certainly Richard Gasquet. The French player had beaten the Spaniard several times when they were children, but the situation was reversed when they both turned professional.
Nadal and Gasquet© Instagram Richard Gasquet
Nadal has been a real nightmare for Gasquet throughout his career, having defeated him 18 times in as many clashes.
“I lost 18 times against him, it’s horrible,” said Richard on the latest edition of the ‘Super Moscato Show’.
“I’m not going to sell you a false thing by telling you that it’s a pleasure. It’s a huge regret for me not to have beaten him. Now he’s gone – so I won’t beat him again.
I knew him since he was young, I wasn’t particularly afraid. I beat him at 13. I thought I could beat him in Monaco in 2005.
After that, I had a hard time, he progressed, there’s no doubt about it. It became difficult. When you’re an athlete and you’ve never beaten a guy, it hurts” – he concluded.
Rafa had the ability to destroy his opponents physically and mentally, wearing them down as the minutes went by and preventing them from breathing. This strategy has produced incredible results especially on the red clay, where the Spaniard has been unbeatable for most of his career.
The 14-time French Open champion hoped that red clay would allow him to make his last dance special, but his results were disappointing at both the 2024 Roland Garros and the Paris Olympics. Rafa was defeated by Sascha Zverev in the first round of the French Open and by Novak Djokovic in the second round of the Olympic tournament.
Kyrgios opens up on Rafa
Among the players who have put Nadal in the most difficulty, it is impossible not to mention Nick Kyrgios. The Australian ace has a truly remarkable talent and has shown time and time again that he exalts himself when facing the 22-time Grand Slam champion.
Nick Kyrgios and Rafael Nadal© YouTube screenshot
On the latest edition of the ‘Nothing Major’ podcast, Kyrgios – who will return to play on the ATP tour in early 2025 (he will play the Brisbane International and the Australian Open) – spoke about his rivalry with Rafa: “I couldn’t stand him. I used to hate and despise him so much when I saw him walking around. He was one guy who always motivated me. If I played him I would get up for it and try and get the best tennis I could possibly play. I didn’t feel that anger towards Federer or Novak when I played them.”
He also added: “If I played Rafa, because everyone in our academies back home idolized him, they were like he is such a hard worker, he’s this and that. I was like ‘I can’t stand this guy’. I wanted to show people you could just have fun and be chilled and beat people like that.”
Nick and Rafa have had several disagreements in the past due to their very different characters and the Spaniard had harshly reprimanded Kyrgios after their match in Acapulco in 2019.
“He is a player who has huge talent, who could be winning Grand Slams or fighting for first position in the ranking. He lacks respect for the crowd, the opponent and himself,” Nadal said in that occasion.
After the announcement of Rafa’s retirement, the Australian ace sent him a beautiful message showing him huge respect despite their past disagreements.
Tennis World USA