Rafael Nadal Retires: Life Lessons From Tennis's Greatest Fighter And Humblest Warrior

"If you don't lose, you cannot enjoy the victories. So I have to accept both things." - Rafael Nadal

On October 10, in a video released on his X (formerly Twitter) account, Rafael Nadal announced that he would be retiring from professional tennis. Immediately, fans across the world took to social media to pay their tributes and hail the tennis legend and rightly so. After all, Nadal's rivalry with his great rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic had helped shape what was the golden era of tennis. Nadal won 22 Grand Slams and many ATP titles and tournaments. However, what stands out about him (and his two great rivals Federer and Djokovic) is the fact that he never let the on court rivalry spill over outside the court.

He along with Federer taught an entire generation that one could fight as ferociously on the court (or anywhere professionally) as possible and yet be perfectly normal friends once outside the competition zone.

Add to that his trademark humility and his never-say-die attitude in the face of all the injuries. Yet, he never let that childlike smile from his face disappear. Why would he? He had himself once remarked, "I learned during all my career to enjoy suffering."

Apart from the records and laurels he holds, Rafael Nadal also has a special streak that he has managed to retain all throughout his career. Nadal never smashed his racket on a court, ever. Those who don't watch tennis might be prone to think that it counts for nothing. However, the fans and players know how tough it is to not vent out one's anger when things don't go as per plans on the court.

Many a times, the racket is the only thing in a tennis player's control when the stakes and audience is against him. And many a times it is the racket that faces the wrath of players as they "smash it to smithereens." Even the ice-cool Roger Federer and iron-willed Novak Djokovic- who is a firm believer in the mind-body-soul axis - could resist the urge or temptation.

However, Nadal is different. In 2020, Nadal was asked about why he had never smashed or broken a racket even as a child. His answer: "My family wouldn’t have allowed me to break a racquet," he is reported to have said in Spanish. His uncle and first coach, Toni Nadal, once said that Nadal had too much respect for him and the game to break a racket and he knew how difficult it was to acquire things.

The greatest competitor in one of the most difficult sports accepts he would never do anything his family wouldn't allow. And managed to retain the lessons he had learned as a kid all through out his career even when he became the number 1 in his sport and one of the most well known athletes in the world. As they say, the good old manners never age.

It's a lesson for us all and for yours truly who admits to being a hothead and a rebel without a case. If the greatest competitor in one of the most demanding sports in the world could fight and win without losing his cool, we can all definitely try and emulate that trend instead of trying to make life hell for those around us. Pressure can never be an excuse for bad behaviour or a reason for not putting up a fight with all our might, Nadal has shown time and again.

Mil gracias a todos
Many thanks to all
Merci beaucoup à tous
Grazie mille à tutti
谢谢大家
شكرا لكم جميعا
תודה לכולכם
Obrigado a todos
Vielen Dank euch allen
Tack alla
Хвала свима
Gràcies a tots pic.twitter.com/7yPRs7QrOi

— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) October 10, 2024

It would be injustice to the Spaniard not to mention three landmark matches from his career. While Nadal won two of these matches, he lost the epic final against Novak Djokovic at the 2012 Australian Open final against Djokovic. However, even when defeated, he couldn't be called a loser. He fought Djokovic point for point, game for game for almost six hours and gave us one of the greatest Grand Slam finals ever.

Watch it, you will not be disappointed. Also, notice that regret on his face at the very end. The pain of having given it your all and yet not making it across the line. While the losses hurt, he made sure to learn from them the next time he stepped on to the court.

Not to mention, he won the 2008 final against the maestro, Roger Federer at the Wimbledon. That day, the 'king of clay' proved he had the will and the heart to defeat a prime Federer on grass, a feat second to none. That Nadal had come close the previous two years and lost in five-sets did not discourage him from taking on the great Federer. What we saw in the 2008 Wimbledon final, what the world witnessed in the 2008 Wimbledon final, is now a stuff of legends.

Relive that moment here, when Nadal made the transition from a challenger to the champion in the world of tennis and sports.

The 2022 Australian Open Final

The 2022 Australian Open final was far from Nadal's younger days when the Spaniard wore capri pants and sleeveless tops with his bulging biceps intimidating the opponents. Though the chiselled physique remained, the receding hairline and multiple injuries had clearly made Nadal look older than 35. That he was facing an opponent 10 years younger than him, which means a lot in tennis, was not lost on him or even his opponent.

Nadal lost the first two sets and Russia's Deniil Medvedev looked set to win the Australian Open championship with Nadal at 0-40 in the third set. In cricket (we Indians need cricket to make a sense of everything related to sports) that would mean needing 19 runs to win in 3 balls or having to survive an entire day on a turning track with just three to two wickets in hand. In other words, almost impossible.

But then, it's not for nothing that Nadal is called the ultimate fighter in tennis. He dug into his deepest reserves and put up a fight for the ages. Ultimately, he managed to take the match to the fifth set by winning the third and fourth sets. In the fifth set, he beat Medvedev 7-5 to win the match by 2-6, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5.

The match lasted for 5 hours and 24 minutes and Nadal won his 21st Grand Slam. However, once again, it was not about the Grand Slam or even the trophy or the cash prize. It was about the indomitable spirit of Nadal refusing to give up in the face of adversary or a challenge. It is what makes Nadal one of the greatest if not the greatest in his sport and in life - the courage to fight till the last point no matter what the outcome. That is a good lesson to learn and practice in life too. Thank you Rafa!