Roland Nadal or Rafa Garros, arrives the 14th title in Paris
Work, education, sportsmanship, humility, mental strength and a lot of quality. This is the summary of the best Spanish sportsman of all time and one of the best sportsmen in the world.
Some compare this year's achievement of the fourteenth title with Real Madrid's fourteenth Champions League.
As luck would have it, Rafa Nadal's draw coincided with Novak Djokovic, Zverev and Carlitos Alcaraz.
This meant that the match with the Serb was considered an early final. The truth is that the most evenly balanced match and one that looked like it would be a match to remember for a long time was against Alexander Zverev until the great German player was unlucky enough to get injured.
The Spanish crossover did not take place precisely because Zverev eliminated Alcaraz in a great match.
On the other side of the draw were Cilic, Rublev, Rune and finalist Casper Ruud. Nothing comparable to Nadal, Djokovic, Alcaraz, Zverev.
Real Madrid eliminated Paris Saint Germain, Chelsea and Manchester City.
As they say in football: if you want to be champion you have to beat the best. But in tennis, and specifically at Roland Garros, the physical toll is very heavy. In just ten days all the matches are concentrated. Rafa had to face Djokovic, two days later Zverev and in another two days the final.
This added to his physical limitations. Now we have learned that he has played with his foot infiltrated, asleep, to endure the pain. With the handicap of loss of sensitivity.
In football, matches are not so close together. A fortnight passes between knockout rounds, although depending on the internal league, matches are still played almost every three days.
This year has been magical for Rafa, he arrived very physically depleted at Roland Garros, the draw did not benefit him at all, the night time schedules also harmed his recovery time, but the Philippe Chatrier court is for Rafa like playing at home. It's like the Santiago Bernabeu stadium for Real Madrid.
The more difficult and complicated it gets, the better Rafa gets. Similar to the situations that Real Madrid overcame this year. In the key moments of the matches, Rafa brings out his repertoire of impossible shots. Without a bad gesture, just a lot of courage and mental strength. "Until the end, come on Rafa".
Like the Madrid team, who, when it seems that all is lost, seize on a small weakness in their opponents to rise up with more strength and overcome their rivals.
But Rafa has much more merit. He is alone in these situations. He does not have a team to accompany him. Player against player. He doesn't have a Rodrygo who comes off the bench to come back, nor a Benzema who keeps pressing as if it were the first minute of the game, nor a saviour Courtois.
Rafa is Karim, he is Thibaut, he is Vini, he is Carletto, he is Luka, all in one. He has a great previous work, he is the most professional. He has tics and routines that make him not lose his concentration and a mental strength that makes him overcome the critical moments of the match.
Real Madrid is always in the Champions League. They change their players and every year they face their rivals. Since Mourinho's time they have always been among the best in the Champions League. It changes players and coaches. The Santiago Bernabeu is always there. Now it is more modern. The fans will always be there too.
Rafael Nadal has his team of trainers and physiotherapists, but he plays alone on the court. This year it seemed impossible, but he achieved it with a very calm final. Like Real Madrid, eliminating the best and with a final without as much emotion as the knockout rounds of PSG, Chelsea or City.
One more year. That's fourteen. Until when? Yesterday he said goodbye saying: "I'll keep trying".
"Until the end, come on Real, come on Rafa".
