Adiós, Rafa

The retirement from tennis of Rafael Nadal, tormented in recent years by an endless series of injuries and physical ailments, had been looming for some time. Yet, it seemed like it would never actually come, partly due to his categorical—and at times irritated—refusal to discuss it publicly, and partly because of the final chapter he painstakingly tried to give himself; a farewell tour made up of a few appearances at the tournaments most meaningful to him, such as the Olympic Games and Roland Garros, and the rest of the time devoted to taking care of a body far beyond worn out. In the end, though, that moment has arrived, with the farewell message—a nearly five-minute video—posted yesterday by Nadal on his Instagram profile. “I feel truly fortunate for all the things I’ve been able to experience,” says the Mallorcan, “and I want to thank the entire tennis community, all the people who make it up, and above all, my great rivals.” A dedication, obviously, directed at his two eternal competitors, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, emphasized by the images that accompany it. “I’ve gone through so much with them, lived moments I will remember for my entire life.”

Next month, Nadal will take the court for the last time, representing his Spain in the Davis Cup: “the best way to close the circle,” he says. “Mil gracias a todos,” the words with which the curtain falls, as we await the tears that will inevitably—or almost inevitably—flow on November 24th, during his final goodbye. Even though the current version of Nadal, as expected for a 38-year-old with such mileage, is a faded copy of the legendary tennis player he once was, Malaga will be the last chance to feel those emotions that Rafa has gifted the public for over twenty years. Intense, physical, penetrating—like his game and the spirit with which he faced every battle: a “vamos,” a fist pump, a sleeveless shirt, a banana, an unconventional forehand, and one marathon on the clay court after another, all the way to his stoic resistance against Father Time, crowned by the incredible triumph in Paris two years ago, before reaching the end of the road. “I leave with the absolute peace of having given my all,” he says proudly, “of having given everything in every possible way.” And as an old ad from the brand that dressed him for fifteen years once said, “we are all witnesses.” 

The Nadal's Aesthetic

Having emerged at a young age as the anti-Federer on the court, Nadal soon confirmed himself as his antithesis in style and public image as well. This, after all, is why it was the perfect rivalry: for the complementarity of its protagonists. On one side, Federer’s composure and elegance; on the other, Nadal’s fiery temperament and irreverent look—or at least that’s how he was perceived, for example, on Wimbledon’s Centre Court, where he appeared in his—albeit white—sleeveless shirt, capri pants, and signature headband tied around his forehead. In any case, Nadal almost always reached the end of the match with a bit of the playing surface on him, on that explosive physique—a not improper term for his left bicep—that dominated the screen. The emblem of a fighter, from any angle.

Precisely because of these attributes, as well as his popularity and impeccable demeanor off the court, Nadal immediately became an ideal ambassador for Nike. With the Swoosh, he maintained a long (almost his entire career) and profitable (about 10 million euros per year, according to rumors) sponsorship relationship, which among other things, gave birth to the Raging Bull lines, his signature developed with the Beaverton brand. For Nike, Nadal best embodies the iconoclastic and combative spirit that has always been the hallmark of Swoosh sponsorship in tennis.

The Ritual

To truly appreciate Nadal, you need to embrace his determination, even in its most obsessive forms. His improvements on the court were undeniable proof of this, but there is also a darker side to the coin; a side where you find, among other things, the exhausting routine that preceded every serve of his career: one of those nerve-wracking rituals, similar to conscious, superstition-laden tics, that the audience somehow ends up becoming fond of. So, where does a good first serve, perhaps an ace, start? For Nadal, it’s an assembly line that must be religiously repeated: adjusting his socks, his hair, his shorts, his underwear, wiping his forehead with his wristband, touching his nose, and only after all this—in strict order—tossing the ball into the air.

It’s a practice that might seem crazy from the outside, but in tennis—in various ways and forms—it’s not so rare. A similar case, for instance, is Djokovic with his endless ball-bouncing before serving: an infernal litany for those who just want to move on to the next point. Nevertheless, in 2009, the Serb performed a hilarious imitation of Nadal’s routine—pulling his underwear and adjusting his shirt—during a charity match, and after overcoming his initial embarrassment, Rafa could only laugh along with the spectators at the Serbian’s antics.

Heritage

If Nadal has entered the Olympus of tennis thanks to his achievements and longevity, the place he has forever carved out in the collective imagination and in the hearts of fans is due to what he has been able to convey on a human level. His legacy is different from that of a messenger of beauty like Federer, and from that of a tennis-cyborg like Djokovic. Nadal has been the embodiment of work ethic, perseverance, and humility: values often overused to describe great champions, but certainly not in Nadal’s case.

"Gracias Rafa," the tribute with which the ATP saluted, just moments after the announcement, one of its greatest representatives and ambassadors of all time. And while an infinite number of words would be needed to list the achievements the Spaniard has reached in the circuit, just a few - those of his iconic hashtag - were enough to capture his eternity: #RafaSiempre.