Rafael Nadal was hailed as “the sportsman who has had the greatest impact throughout history” of Spanish sport following his retirement.
Spain has a long history in sports, having produced a number of notable athletes, including Formula 1 world champion Fernando Alonso, MotoGP champions Jorge Lorenzo and Marc Marquez, football World Cup and European champions Andres Iniesta, Xavi, and Iker Casillas, cycling legend Miguel Indurain, and golf great Seve Ballesteros.
Over the years, a number of tennis celebrities have emerged, including Garbine Muguruza, Aranxta Sanchez Victoria, Conchita Martinez, Manuel Santana, and Manuel Orantes.
However, Jose Manuel Rodriguez Uribes, the Spanish Minister of Culture and Sport, thinks Rafael Nadal is the best because he has elevated Spanish sport to a new level.
Rafa Nadal stated in an interview with The Athletic that he has definitely been a hero of flesh and blood.
The greatest athlete in our history, without a doubt.
Although Novak Djokovic has now eclipsed Nadal as the first person to win 22 Grand Slams, there is no denying that Nadal will be remembered as the greatest clay-court player of all time.
In the Open Era, the King of Clay has won a record 14 French Open championships, much ahead of Bjorn Borg, who has six. Of his 92 titles, an astounding 63 have been won on the red soil.
When Rafael Nadal played his last match at home in the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga, Spain paused to honor the icon.
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The president of Spain’s Olympic Committee, Alejandro Blanco, went on to say that Rafael Nadal was the athlete who had the biggest influence in history.
Nadal wants to be known as a decent guy from a modest town, even if he retired as one of the best tennis players of all time and most likely Spain’s greatest athlete.
I’m departing in the hopes that I’ll be viewed as a decent person by everyone. I’ve made an effort to leave that legacy. “I depart calmly knowing that my legacy is not just athletic but also emotional,” he remarked.
There are the titles, followed by the numbers. Most people are aware of that. I want to be known more as a decent person from a little Mallorcan community.
Toni Nadal, his uncle and previous coach, agrees that Rafa resigned with his “head held high.”
He told the official ATP website, “He has earned the great respect of most people after everything he has accomplished and after being there for many years.” “At every competition in which he has competed, he has left a positive impression. He can definitely go with his head held high, in my opinion.
