Rafael Nadal will go down as the greatest Spanish tennis player and sportsman of all time (Image: Getty)
has been hailed as the best sportsman in Spain’s history by his country’s peers and politicians after the tennis icon’s retirement was made official last week.
The Manacor icon bid following Spain’s 2-1 defeat to the Netherlands in the Davis Cup.
In his final match, Nadal put up a valiant fight against Botic van de Zandschulp as he went down 6-4, 6-4 to the Dutchman, who admitted he found it “very tough” to send his idol into retirement.
That level of respect transcends just tennis, though, as sports stars and high-ranking figures in Spain have spoken in glowing terms about Nadal’s achievements.
Alejandro Blanco, the president of the Spanish Olympic Committee, claimed Nadal is “the sportsman who has had the greatest impact throughout history.”
His words were reinforced by Jose Manuel Rodriguez Uribes, the secretary of state for sport who in 2020 awarded Nadal Spain’s Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Sporting Merit.
Rafael Nadal bowed out of professional tennis last week (Image: Getty)
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“ has undoubtedly been a hero of flesh and blood,” he told The Athletic. “Undoubtedly the best sportsman in our history.”
Their praise sets a high benchmark, but Nadal’s incredible achievements in tennis certainly measure up. He won 22 Grand Slams and 92 titles overall throughout his career and spent 209 weeks as the world No 1 in the ATP rankings.
But his remarkable dominance of the French Open, where he won 14 titles and boasts a record of 112 wins and just three defeats at Roland Garros, could feasibly remain untouched for the rest of time.
It would be difficult to find a Spaniard so widely revered and respected as Nadal in a country that is often divided due to its cultural differences. Even the likes of rallycar driver Sr, his son and F1 star Jr and footballers David Silva, Andres Iniesta or Raul are not as popular.
Carlos Sainz is a four-time race winner in F1 (Image: Getty)
Despite being a proud Real Madrid supporter, Nadal’s exploits have earned rave reviews from players past and present on both sides of the ‘Clasico’ divide.
Ex-Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas said: “Rafa is part of us, he is part of the history of Spain”, while Barcelona hero Andres Iniesta added: “We can only congratulate him for his spectacular career and for the legacy and values he leaves us.”
But boss may have put it best when summarising what makes Nadal special, as the San Sebastian-born manager waxed lyrical about the tennis star.
“Whether you’re a tennis fan or not a tennis fan… the way he acts, the way he behaves, the way he wins, and especially the way he’s lost, the way he has dealt with the difficulties in life, is just an inspiration,” Arteta said on Saturday.