Rafael Nadal at tribute ceremony: ‘It’s not a sacrifice when you are doing what you want to do’ | Tennis News
The French Tennis Federation’s tribute to Rafael Nadal was surfeit with moments that make memories. Be it the legendary Spaniard’s speech, done in three languages or the magnificent setting of the stands, dressed in ochre, and the permanent imprint of the 14-time champion’s foot. It was a ceremony with a soul. But when his three greatest rivals Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray walked out onto Court Philippe Chatrier late on Sunday evening, it looked like the early scenes of a gripping sequel.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Nadal has shared a match court with these men 124 times, only a fraction of the 1300-odd matches he has played in his career, yet it was this very rivalry that held his career together, like the binding of a book.
After the hour-long function the four men hung together and shared laughs, which Nadal was asked about in the press conference that followed.The soon-to-be 39-year-old started the answer with good intentions, saying they had each enquired about families, but then, just like that, the competitive fire was stoked.“You know, my good friend Andy, we were not in touch for a while, but the day Arsenal beat Real Madrid (in the Champions League quarter final in April), one second after the match, he texted me,” Nadal said, reaching for his phone. “I’m going to read (the message), because it’s quite good, interesting…” “Hey Rafa, haven’t spoken to you in a while. Just checking in to make sure you are okay,” Nadal read from his phone before looking up at a laughing press room. “It took me like five seconds to realise what I was reading. In the beginning, I said, okay, he’s such a nice guy. He’s asking how I’m doing. After five seconds… This Bbrrriiitish sense of humour.”Only Nadal wasn’t done, he had the angled forehand to rip. “By the way, I didn’t text him back when PSG beat Arsenal.”Competition aside it’s the camaraderie that set this rivalry apart. There was the fight, but there was more, united by a feeling that was unique to this quartet of champions.“We were four of the best rivals, we pushed each other to the limits,” Nadal said. “When you are only two, you can lose a little bit of motivation because (maybe) the other starts losing or gets injured. But being four, always one of the four was winning. That didn’t allow us to relax or give us a break in terms of intensity, and determination to keep improving our game.”He added, “Within us we show (each other) the way, to be better and better. We achieved our dreams and because of this rivalry we raised the numbers of tennis history to the next level.”Nadal, the only one of the foursome in formal shoes, the other three wearing sports soles, expected his rivals to be present on Sunday, but he wasn’t sure if they would actually be there.The 22-time major winner, who has two less than Djokovic and two more than Federer, said his collection of 14 Coupe des Mousquetaires trophies would be tough to top.“If I did it, another one is going to achieve that too,” he said, “(But) a lot of things need to go in your favor, you need a long career, you can’t have a lot of injuries, even if I had. I only retired here once in 2016, but you can have injuries, you can also have very, very bad days, so you need some luck, too.”The Spanish superstar was asked if he would encourage his two-year-old son Rafael Nadal Junior to become a professional sportsman given the road, and the sacrifices the journey entailed.“You mentioned sacrifices, the things that you lost to become a professional (athlete), I never had that feeling, that I made a lot of sacrifices. I never thought I had lost a part of my life to become professional,” he said. “I was not able to do all the things my friends were doing every weekend, but I was able to do all the things, and I did it. At the same time, when you are doing what you want to do, you are not making sacrifices.”Nadal underlined that if his son approached sport with a similar attitude, he would support him.Nadal knew that a couple of surprises had been planned for the ceremony, but he didn’t know what exactly they would be. When a bit of the dirt was cleared later in the evening, revealing Nadal’s footprint, tears flowed down his face.“Knowing that it’s going to be there forever is a present I can’t describe in words,” he said. “Very, very emotional to have this spot on the most important court of my tennis career. Very, very special.”That was the kind of champion Rafael Nadal was. All that he won is in the numbers, the mettle of the man resonates in his footprint.
