Martín Carpena roars as if a decisive point is at stake, even though Spain has already been eliminated from the Davis Cup. The Malaga pavilion continues to be packed to say goodbye to Nadal. Tears flow from young and old, not out of sadness, but out of melancholy. They are those who grew up with a tennis player as a reference and those who set an example for new generations.
Carpena is witnessing the end of an era in Spanish tennis. Rafael Nadal, decisive figure in national sport and world leader in this sport, announced his retirement after 23 years of professional career. The Mallorcan tennis player, who in recent years had limited his participation on the circuit due to injuries, closes an exceptional career on a statistical and sporting level.
His competitive record reflects 1,080 victories against 227 defeats, in addition to a record that includes 92 titles: 22 Grand Slams, 36 Masters 1,000, 23 ATP500 and 10 ATP250. Added to these achievements are 5 Davis Cups and two Olympic gold medals. His dominance on clay is particularly remarkable, the surface on which he has won 63 of his trophies.
Beyond the statistics, Nadal stood out for his behavior on the court, keeping his cool on a circuit where capricious demonstrations are frequent. His combination of competitive intensity and sportsmanship has earned him recognition beyond the sporting arena. Even though he is a passionate and effervescent player. Nadal is a mixture of stoicism, good education, respect, honesty, integrity, passion… This is perhaps what made him go from sportsman to staff in a society, the Spanish one , always lacking references.
“There is no ideal goodbye, This only happens in American films.. And I realized a long time ago that I wouldn’t have one. Nadal always approached each moment understanding the place from which he had to do it. Taking a step forward when necessary and stepping aside when your body, after a thousand and one battles against itself, has said so far.
Rafa is not retiring because he is exhausted from tennis. He is retiring because he no longer has the opportunity to train and play at a level that rewards him personally. He retires because Rafa can no longer be Rafa. This tennis player whose technique was superior, but who turned matches around due to his inhuman resistance and mental strength. In tennis, a sport in which players constantly move on the wire, Nadal was the best tightrope walker.
There is no sport that is more encompassing than tennis. Serve, subtract, equalize, play, set, match point… Transcendental decision-making that repeats itself every less than five seconds. With that, Rafa It was unbeatable. A superlative concentration based on the most absolute refusal to give up.
SO, The citizen feels that Rafa is part of his life. You see yourself reflected in him. Each imbued with its particular party. Perhaps this is also why he transcended and served as an example not to tennis players, but to people, including the one who writes these lines. Thanks Rafa.
