Now that King of Clay Rafael Nadal has officially retired after Spain’s loss in the 2024 Davis Cup, tennis stars have been paying their utmost respect and tribute to the legend. From Novak Djokovic to Roger Federer, almost every prominent personality has penned down glorifying words for the 22-time Grand Slam title champion.
Now, the list has one more name, and it’s none other than Uncle Toni Nadal. The coach highlighted that he is thrilled about all the achievements Rafael has bagged so far in his illustrious career with his feet still on the ground.
He even opened up about how he has witnessed the journey (from a small boy who loved tennis and dreamt of becoming a tennis player one day to actually becoming someone who has given a whole new meaning to the sport).
Toni Nadal said, “I don’t like the word proud too much. I feel very happy about everything that he’s achieved, obviously on court because of everything he won. But, above all, the most notable thing, which really pleases me as a relative, is seeing how a boy who had a dream of being a great tennis player did everything possible without losing his way. He always kept his feet on the ground.“
Toni also believes that his nephew will embark on his new journey with positivity and normality, highlighting how he has always known that all journeys have an end and it is the end to accept it with full purity and love. Well, there are no sports careers that last 100 years.
Continuing further, he added, “Staying competitive within the limits of correctness. That’s definitely what has pleased me the most. I’ve loved seeing how much people have appreciated that.”
Not only that, but Toni concluded by recalling some of the most memorable moments he shared with his nephew during his professional journey, which taught him valuable lessons about life and tennis.
With that being said, it seems like Uncle Toni will always remember the final of the Wimbledon Championships 2008, the finals of the French Open, the Monte-Carlo tournaments, and how Rafael celebrated those victories with class and compassion.
He concluded. “There are no sporting careers that last 100 years. In any case, I think that he has been getting used to the idea over the past few months. Of course, retirement is a difficult time, but I don’t think it will be very difficult to focus on the rest of his life doing other things.”
Tennis journey of Rafael Nadal: The King of Clay
Rafael Nadal—the name needs absolutely no introduction in the tennis world. Everyone who has been following tennis for a while knows how important and glorious Nadal has been in these 20 years.
He has won 92 titles in his remarkable career. That includes 22 Grand Slams, 36 Masters 1000 trophies, a gold medal in singles at Beijing 2008, and a gold medal in doubles at Rio 2016.
That’s not all; the King of Clay has the fifth-most men’s tour-level titles in the Open Era. The legend is also known as the King of Clay, as he has won the French Open 14 times, a record that will hardly be equaled—or even beaten—in the future. After two decades, Rafael Nadal has embarked on a new chapter of his life.
