Rafael Nadal: I hope my legacy is about who I was off the tennis court
In a letter to The Players' Tribune, Nadal opens up about his tennis career from a deeply personal perspective.
Tennis
Rafael Nadal is one of the greatest tennis players of all time. That is a fact.
His 92 career titles, including Olympic gold in 2008, speak for themselves.
But what he did on the court is not the kind of legacy the Spaniard wants to leave following his retirement.
Instead, he hopes people look back on his career with admiration for the kind of person he is.
“I hope that my legacy is that I always tried to treat others with deep respect,” he wrote for The Players' Tribune.
“Look around you and notice the people you admire… how they treat people, what you love about them – act like them and you will probably live a happy life.
“I carried that lesson with me into every match I ever played; I was not fueled by hatred of my rivals, but a deep respect and admiration.
“I simply tried to wake up every morning and get a little bit better, so I could keep up with them. It didn’t always work! But I tried… I always tried.”
Rafa Nadal: 'We are human beings, not superheroes'
By his own admission, though, things have not always been that straightforward in such a brilliant career.
At 17, Nadal was faced with the possibility he may never play professionally again after an injury revealed a diagnosis of a rare bone disease called Mueller-Weiss syndrome.
"You go from the greatest joy to waking up crying, but it was a great lesson in humility," he said.
He would eventually come back stronger, but at the tail end of his time on the court, Nadal found himself struggling mentally.
"I went through a very difficult moment, mentally, a few years ago. Physical pain I was very used to, but there were times on the court when I had trouble controlling my breathing.
"I don't have trouble saying it now. After all, we are human beings, not superheroes.
"The person you see at a center court with a trophy is a person. Exhausted, relieved, happy, thankful -- but just a person."
Nadal has won it all during his career, but one of his proudest moments comes in the form of perseverance.
"I conquered it [mental struggles] by moving forward, and I slowly became myself again.
"The thing that I'm most proud of is that I may have struggled, but I never quit. I always gave the maximum."
It is clear that for the 38-year-old, tennis was more than just a sport.
Not only was it his life, but it was something that brought him invaluable life lessons and something he has experienced the ultimate highs and lows.
“Most of the time, you don’t win the tournament you play – real life is the same,” he added.
“You learn how to live with the moments of joy and the moments of pain, and you try to treat them the same.
“What makes you grow as a person is life itself – the failures, the nerves, the heartache, the joy, the process of waking up every day and trying to be a little better to achieve your goals.”
In the letter, Nadal goes on to confess that growing up he never really had sporting idols, but rather the people he knew in life were his heroes.
However, when he got to play with Carlos Moyá as a 12-year-old, his attitude towards playing on the court shifted.
“It was an unforgettable experience, a window to another world,” he said, recounting the story.
“Tennis was transforming from something that was just for fun – a child’s game – to a real goal to do for a living… it got me dreaming a bit more.”
That is the power of role models – the same kind of power Nadal’s legacy will have, both as player and as a person.