The same week he announced his retirement Andrew Iniesta (Fuentealbilla, 1984), a day later, Rafa Nadal (Manacor, 1986) decides to follow the same path and sets a date for his last point as a tennis professional. For many, the best Spanish athlete of all time will say goodbye at the end of November Daviswhich will close its edition this year in Malaga.
Nadal retires because his body has said enough. “It’s been a tough few years, especially the last two,” Rafa admitted in his farewell video. He dedicated 2024 to testing himself, to see if he was able to feel competitive and still have fun on the track. In Enough (Suede), after refusing to say goodbye to Roland Garros and just before going to Games Olympiche finally realized the reality.
In Davis, Nadal will say goodbye to his dream: in front of the Spanish public and fighting at the top for another title on his record. His idea is to play both individually and in doubles, this is what he conveyed to the captain David Ferrerand attempts to lead the way into what will be his sixth Salad Bowl. A gold pin for a career that is “much more successful” than, Rafa admits, “I could ever have imagined.”
Iniesta’s farewells, already over, and those of Nadal, in a month, are two direct blows to nostalgia. For adults who were excited as children to see them succeed and for children who grew up celebrating their successes. For most fans who didn’t miss any of their performances and for those who only looked out the window as a victory approached. For everyone, after all. Because who has never said: “I’m Spanish, why do you want me to beat you?”
The Davis Cup will have a greater meaning than Nadal’s farewell already means. It will be the epilogue of the golden age of national sport. The closing of a beautiful story which has its beginning and its end in the figure of Rafa. Because this kid who conquered in 2005, at only 19 years old, Roland Garros -the first of his 22 grand slam– paved the way for a series of athletes, both individually and collectively, who have made the Spanish anthem ring out on numerous occasions around the world.
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The history of sport in Spain has its precursors, such as Manolo Santana either Sap Crossbowmenas Arantxa Sanchez Vicario either White Fernandez Ochoabut it was not until the “Nadal generation” that we got used to victory. In this year 2005 when all of Paris discovered Rafa, as well as the handball team of BarrufetTHE Entrerrios either Roland Urios She was proclaimed world champion for the first time and the legend of Fernando Alonso with his first championship Formula 1.
Nadal’s conquests have always been accompanied by the successes of others, such as those of the basketball team led by Paul Essence that in 2006, in Japanreached the top of the world. This is followed by seven European metals (four gold), three Olympic medals (two silver and one bronze) and another world gold (2019). Or those of the football team, which began a glorious hegemony in 2008 by being the first team to win two consecutive European Championships and a World Cup. From the locker room he drove Louis Aragonese 16 years ago, after Iniesta retired, they are no longer active Albiol, Cazorla, Sérgio Ramos And Pepe Queen.
El punto álgido de esta generación bien pudo ser 2010. Nadal, Gasol e Iniesta protagonizaron ese año un anuncio de la marca deportiva Nike bajo el lema “Brilla, ilumina tu país”. Una campaña icónica en la que estos tres ídolos del deporte español hacían un exhausto repaso a todos los logros conseguidos en los doce últimos meses. Del Dakar de Carlos Sainz al triplete en motociclismo con Jorge Lorenzo, Toni Elías y un jovencísimo Marc Márquez.
Los protagonistas del anuncio lograron los mayores éxitos de aquel año. Rafa ganó Roland Garros, Wimbledon y US Open, Pau conquistó su segundo anillo de la NBA junto a Kobe Bryant en los Lakers y Andrés marcó ‘el gol de nuestras vidas’ para dar a España, en Sudáfrica, su primer Mundial de fútbol. “Trabaja y esfuérzate. Con humildad y respeto. Lucha contra la oscuridad, sé la luz que dicen que hemos perdido”, eran los valores que estas figuras dejaban a la sociedad española en un momento tan dulce.+
The list of great Spanish champions of the Nadal generation is long: cyclists Oscar Pereiro, Albert Counter And Carlos Tailorchampions of five Tour de France in a row between 2006 and 2010, alongside the eternal Alexander Valverde; swimmers David Mecca And Mirée Belmonte; the weightlifter Lydia Valentine; the pilots Tony Bou And Brand Coma; canoeists love David Lime, Saul Craviotto either Maialen Chourraut; triathletes Javier Gomez Noya And Mario cool; badminton star Caroline Marine; boxers love kiko Martinez either Jane Pastrana; and the roller hockey, water polo, indoor soccer and artistic swimming teams.
All of them, along with those mentioned above and a few other names, have been the best in the world at some point in the last two decades, and today they are retired or in the latter part of their careers.
The next generation
Nadal’s farewell signifies the definitive passing of the baton to another generation, fortunately led by Rafa’s natural heir. Carlos Alcarazat the age of 21, achieved what seemed unimaginable: that in such a short time a Spanish tennis player comparable to Manacorí appeared. The student of Juan Carlos Ferrero, another hero of the past, needs traveling companions to mark a new golden age.
There is talent. For example, in football, where they are already champions with names known worldwide as Laminate Yamal either Aitana Bonmati. Or the phenomenon carried out by Ilya Topuriastandard bearer on almost unknown territory in Spain since Alonso was once in F1. Names like sweater Jordan Diazthe swimmer Hugo Gonzalez or the pilot Rock Acosta They are also part of a list of athletes that still needs to grow, but which promises success. And who knows if they’ll ever make the phrase “I’m Spanish, what do you want me to beat?” is once again proudly proclaimed throughout the country. The “Nadal generation” showed the way and is now part of eternity.
