Rafael Nadal reveals what will make him ‘really proud’ at the end of his career
Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have been reflecting on their respective careers, with the Spaniard speaking about what he wants to his legacy to look like after retiring from the sport.
Nadal has been very open about the fact that this may be his final season on the ATP Tour, and in a special joint interview for Louis Vuitton himself and Federer have been looking back on their decorated careers.
Delve behind the scenes with tennis players #RogerFederer and #RafaelNadal, who redefined the game while leaving an inspirational impact across generations, photographed by #AnnieLeibovitz. Discover more at https://t.co/vHkJY4LplO#LouisVuitton pic.twitter.com/ls2uKNvn8z
— Louis Vuitton (@LouisVuitton) May 18, 2024
When asked about how he will want his career to be remebered, Nadal responded, “At the end, what will make me feel really proud and happy is, when I leave this world, if the tournament directors, the people who work on the tournaments, staff, ATP, say good things about who I was on the tour or who I am as a person more than as a tennis player.”
The 37-year-old continued, “Because as a tennis player, at the end, we have the titles we have the achievements and that’s how it is. I achieved more than I ever dreamed about.
“So, for me at the end, the legacy as a human being, after achieving all the things that we achieved, I think for me, is the most important thing.”
Federer and Nadal played each other on 40 occasions, and it was the latter who got the better of their head-to-head with 24 victories.
They first played back in 2004 at the Miami Open, when a 17-year-old Nadal stunned world No.1 Federer in a straight sets victory.
Despite being on the wrong end of the result, Federer described the match as a ‘really special moment’, “The really special moment was when I was world No.1 in 2004, we played in Miami and he actually beat me, which was maybe a surprise to some.
“I had sunstroke, but he still beat me fair and square. That was cool to see the young players come up, with [Andy] Murray, [Novak] Djokovic also coming through at that time.”
The Swiss added, “That first match will always be very meaningful, even though I lost it. And it’s been a great rivalry, like so many great players. But Rafa, with his playing style and attitude on court at such a young age, was not like everybody else. You could feel there was something special coming for sure.”
Federer may now be retired from professional tennis, but Nadal is still gearing up to play Roland Garros in just over a weeks time.
Inside the baseline…
It is really great to see the rivalry between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal turn into a budding friendship, and this interview is the perfect example of that. With Nadal in the latter stages of his career now, it is important for tennis fans to treasure the likes of himself, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, as there will never be players like them ever again.
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