All you can do is marvel at Nadal’s grand slam heroics
Rafael Nadal’s latest French Open win left Jack Rathborn pondering those rare athletes who transcend their sport
How do you quantify greatness when the wealth of numbers and records becomes so vast? Rafael Nadal stomped all over Novak Djokovic in the 56th chapter of their storied rivalry at Roland Garros on Sunday, bringing up a century of victories on the hallowed Parisian clay, a 13th French Open crown and parity with Roger Federer at the top of the men’s game in terms of grand slams (20).
Make no mistake, Nadal is a living legend. Illustrating his ferocity on the court, immense longevity, relentless hunger and then his astounding grace and humility after each battle – no matter the result – can prove a tricky task.
Covering the latest edition of one of sport’s colossal rivalries is almost more about appreciation than context now – with the superlatives recycled over decades. There is now an inkling of sadness with the end in sight, though the Spaniard routinely clouds that with joy. There was his signature groan following a series of
brutal forehands, which constantly sent his Serbian foe tumbling outside the smudged chalk lines en route to perhaps the most emphatic grand slam final win of his career.
At 34 and with the precarious nature of the world we live in right now, as underlined by Nadal’s admirable decision to skip the US Open this year, he should be appreciated while he is still here, because even the man himself is allowing doubts to creep in.
“Honestly, one month and a half ago, if you told me you’re going to have this trophy, I would say, ‘this year will probably be too difficult’,” Nadal said. “I played at an amazing level of tennis. For two sets and a half I played great. It is impossible to have this score against him [Djokovic] without playing great.”
May will be here before long and once again fans will be afforded a treat, witnessing Nadal’s competitors attempt the near-impossible: conquering him at Roland Garros over five sets – the only two men who have ever managed it are Robin Soderling in 2009 and Djokovic five years ago.
So perhaps the emphasis journalistically needs to switch towards encouraging the reader to marvel at Nadal almost as a piece of art. The debate may now shift therefore to discussing when does an athlete elevate themselves to a point where their greatness transcends their profession? That is the legacy of Nadal.
Yours
Jack Rathborn
Assistant sports editor