Rafael Nadal ‘undoubtedly the best sportsman in Spain’s history’
Rafael Nadal has been hailed as “the sportsman who has had the greatest impact throughout history” of Spanish sport following his retirement.
Spain has a rich sporting history as they have produced a cycling legend in Miguel Indurain, a golfing great in Seve Ballesteros, football World Cup and European winners in Andres Iniesta, Xavi and Iker Casillas, a Formula 1 world champion in Fernando Alonso, and MotoGP champions in Jorge Lorenzo and Marc Marquez, to name just a few.
There have been several tennis stars over the years including Manuel Santana, Manuel Orantes, Aranxta Sanchez Victoria, Conchita Martinez and Garbine Muguruza.
But Nadal is in a class of his own as he has taken sport in Spain to another level and Jose Manuel Rodriguez Uribes, the Spanish Minister of Culture and Sport, believes he is “the best”.
“Rafa Nadal has undoubtedly been a hero of flesh and blood,” he said in an interview The Athletic.
“Undoubtedly the best sportsman in our history.”
Nadal was the first man to win 22 Grand Slams, although that record has since been surpassed by Novak Djokovic, while there is no doubt that he will go down in history as the greatest-ever clay-court player.
The King of Clay has won a record 14 French Open titles in the Open Era with Bjorn Borg a distant second with six. An incredible 63 of his 92 titles have come on the red dirt.
Spain stood still when Nadal played his final match on home soil at the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga as they paid respect to the legend.
Alejandro Blanco, President of Spain’s Olympic Committee, added that Nadal was “the sportsman who has had the greatest impact throughout history”.
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Nadal retired as one of the greatest tennis players of all time and most probably Spain’s greatest sportsman, but he wants to be remembered as “a good person from a small village”.
“I’m leaving hoping that everyone will see me as a good person. That’s the legacy I’ve tried to leave. I leave serene in the knowledge that my legacy is also emotional, not just sporting,” he said.
“The titles, the numbers, they’re there. People probably know that. The way I’d like to be remembered more is as a good person from a small village in Mallorca.”
His uncle and former coach Toni Nadal also feels that Rafa left retired with his “head held high”.
“After everything he achieved, having been there for many years, he has gained the immense respect of most people,” he told the official ATP website. “He has left a good image at all the tournaments he participated in. I think it is clear he can go with his head held high.”
