Twenty-Time Grand Slam Winner, Roger Federer said, “Rafa really can hurt anybody on any surface. He’s that good. He’s not just a clay-court specialist.”
This perfectly sums up Rafael Nadal as a tennis player and why he is considered a legend in the sport. His dedication, the never-give up attitude and his humility is what makes him stand apart amongst other athletes.
Rafa was born in Manacor, a town in the island of Mallorca in Spain to parents Ana Maria Parera and Sebastian Nadal. From a young age, he developed an affinity towards sports, particularly Tennis and Football. His uncle, Miguel Angel Nadal, was a retired professional football player who played for teams like RCD Mallorca and FC Barcelona. Recognizing in Rafa a natural talent, another uncle, Toni Nadal, a tennis coach, introduced him to the game. Though born as a right- handed, his uncle Toni encouraged him to play left-handed for a natural advantage on the court.
On 5th June 2005, Rafael Nadal won his first Grand Slam, The French Open by defeating Argentinian player Mariano Puerta in the finals. As of 2020, Rafael Nadal has won 19 Grand Slams, 35 ATP 1000 Masters and 21 ATP 500 Masters along with an Olympic Gold Medal in Singles in the 2008 Olympics held in Beijing. He has inspired and motivated people around the world as a tennis player but more importantly as a Human Being.
People, however, often overlook the struggles he has had to go through. The Rafael Nadal whom we see today has achieved all of this through rigorous hard work and immense determination.
Though he has achieved monumental success in the sport of Tennis, injuries threatened to have a great impact on his career. He has suffered multiple injuries throughout his career, coercing him to withdraw from various prestigious tournaments and competitions. He has had to face constant criticism throughout his life with people always on the speculation that his career would come to an end and he would have to retire. However, despite all the setbacks, Rafa has managed to successfully overcome all the hurdles in front of him. His determination and fighting spirit is what really inspires me and my only hope is that I could imbibe these qualities within me.
Rafa’s fighting attitude is something which is praised by almost everyone. He plays every point as if his life depends upon it. Till the ball doesn’t bounce of the court twice, you can be sure that Rafa would try everything in his power to successfully return the ball to the other side of the court. Even after an excruciating game, he won’t rest till he has completed his training. Even during training sessions, he plays every point with the same intensity and complete awareness. This encourages me to remain focused on a particular task and finish it, before taking on a new responsibility.
He has great admiration for his fellow athletes. In his words he describes Roger Federer as someone who was born to play the game. Rafa has great respect for him and describes Roger as a ‘complete player.’ Describing Novak Djokovic, he points out Novak’s insane mental toughness and his unparalled talent on the court.
One of his quotes has had a great, deep impact on me as a person which describes the challenges in life and how we should face it. In his words,” Enduring means accepting. Accepting things as they are and not as you would wish them to be, and then looking ahead, not behind.”
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