Tennis coach gives Rafael Nadal ‘aura’ insight as he reveals why Spaniard is loved in locker room
Tennis coach and hitting partner Thomas Drouet has explained why Rafael Nadal is loved both in the locker room and by the French public in particular.
The former player declared that Nadal is so well liked “because he’s a great person” and he believes the tennis legend’s aura will “stay forever in the French hearts.”
Nadal has enjoyed mind-blowing dominance at the French Open, having won the clay-court Grand Slam a staggering 14 times between 2005 and 2022. The 22-time major champion holds an absurd 112-3 (97%) record at Roland Garros.
The Spaniard missed the French Open for the first time since 2004 last year as he was forced to postpone his planned comeback from injury during the clay-court season.
The 37-year-old played his first tournament in almost a year at the Brisbane International last month, where he reached the quarter-finals. The former world No 1 withdrew from the 2024 Australian Open due to a hip muscle issue that surfaced during his loss to Jordan Thompson in Brisbane.
Prior to Brisbane, Nadal had not played a singles match since losing to Mackenzie McDonald in the second round of the 2023 Australian Open, where he sustained a hip injury. He underwent arthroscopic surgery to treat the psoas muscle in his hip in June 2023.
Nadal is set to make his return to action at the hard-court ATP 250 tournament in Doha, which will begin next week on February 19.
READ MORE: Rafael Nadal’s potential opponents revealed as Spaniard prepares for comeback
Drouet, who has been a practice partner for Nadal, argued Nadal’s statue at Roland Garros is a good depiction of his character as he discussed the adoration for the Mallorcan in France.
“His statue [at Roland Garros] just represents the guy, like an iron guy with always the fighting spirit. And I think this is what we respect a lot in France. Okay, you [won] 14 times, he feels at home, the crowd is full for him,” the 40-year-old told Essentially Sports.
Rafael Nadal now has his own statue at Roland Garros! pic.twitter.com/OmzhMN0rjQ
— We Are Tennis (@WeAreTennis) May 27, 2021
“But also with his tenacity, the work he puts in, the respect he gives to the player, to the crowd, even to the guys in the locker room, everybody likes him also, not because he’s a great player.
“They love him because he’s a great person. And he’s not acting. I see him. He’s saying hello to everybody in the locker [room]. To the guy who gave the sandwich, to the water, to the guy who booked the training.
“He arrives, says hello, [is] polite to everyone. And I think that creates this image, you know? And yeah, I truly believe that his aura will stay forever in the French hearts.”
Drouet has been a coach and hitting partner for several WTA stars, including Marion Bartoli, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Peng Shuai, Wang Qiang and Anna Blinkova.
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