Rafael Nadal‘s retirement announcement shook the tennis world because the 38-year-old changed and transcended the game in his over two decades on the ATP Tour. In addition to his immeasurable work ethic and never-say-die attitude on the court, his imprint on the game goes much deeper.
Roland-Garros is Nadal’s house.
He was a magician on the red clay courts and made the French Open a must-see event each year he played, winning an unprecedented 14 titles.
The Spaniard is an honorary Frenchman. A statue of his likeness is on the grounds of Roland-Garros, and his image is proudly shown in the opening episode of the fourth season of the Netflix hit show “Emily in Paris.”
He is among the first tennis players (along with Roger Federer) to get custom-made Nike apparel with his unique trademark bull logo. Year after year, Nike designed shoes for him that tallied the number of French Open wins he had. Nadal was a Nike brand ambassador long before tennis players were known or recognized to have such a role.
Nadal opened the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, Spain, in 2016 while actively playing on the ATP Tour.
Whereas other players may have taken on this mission after retirement, Nadal gave back to the game and its future generations while his career was ascending. He was on his way to claiming 22 Grand Slam titles (92 titles overall) and 1,080 career wins.
While his academy naturally teaches tennis, it is built around the framework of students gaining a quality education in the classroom. Each year, he presides over his students’ high school commencement.
One who inspired the next generation was his Spanish compatriot Carlos Alcaraz, who credited Nadal for his decision to become a tennis player. Alcaraz reacted to Nadal’s announcement with a social media post.
“From the child who watched you on television and dreamed of becoming a tennis player to the one who had the immense gift of playing alongside you at Roland Garros representing Spain in the Olympic Games! Thank you very much for being an example at all levels, your legacy is unrepeatable!”
