A letter to Rafa, written by a 15 year old fan named Joely on Tumblr.
***
You lost today, and it was painful.
You lost to someone who had never taken a set off of you before, who was in his first grand slam final, who nobody expected to win, but you lost.
But what I want to say is thank you. Thank you for everything.
Thank you for being such an amazing competitor and fighting to the very end no matter what.
Thank you for pushing the boundaries of your sport, playing to the absolute limit.
Thank you for showing such compassion and fire on the court, inspiring so many people to do the same.
Thank you for pulling off the most ridiculous shots that make me jump and scream and yell “VAMOS!” just as you do.
Thank you for being such a humble, kind person, and making me love you more every time you speak.
Thank you for having such humility, such respect for everyone, especially your next opponent even if they’re ranked so lowly compared to you and are most likely to get beaten by you.
Thank you for being, in my opinion, the greatest competitor to ever play the sport, for fighting for every single point and never ever giving up on anything.
Thank you for playing through the pain that must be excruciating, for never giving up, for never backing down.
Thank you for bringing such happiness into my life by playing your very best tennis and winning so many titles.
Thank you for being there when I’m sad, even though you don’t know you are, I can just watch one of your old matches and feel instantly better.
Thank you for showing that you’re human on the court, showing your passion or disgust at the shots you hit, bringing another level into your game.
Thank you for being so brutal and fearless on the court, putting everything on the line to win, but being such a gentle and shy person off the court, because these two things compliment each other perfectly.
Thank you for making my life that little bit better every day.
So thank you, Rafa, for everything.
Source: rafito-rogelio.tumblr.com
Î completely agree with Joely. Have yet to see another champion as evolved as u r. God bless u. U inspire each one of us to strive harder n b better human beings. Love u. God bless u always
That’s such a beautiful letter. I just want to say that you have always been my hero and my greatest inspiration. You are the world’s number 1, have always been and will continue to be so. You’re the best! We all love you from the bottom of our hearts. I wish you all the joy and happiness in the world. And get well really soon because your health is what matters the most. Vamos, Rafa!
Rafa me has dado tantas alegrias, no nos debes nada, eres genial, un ser maravilloso. me encanta verte con tu novia, espero verte casado con ella , hacen una linda pareja, te sigo y te seguire siempre, eres casi perfecto, casi digo porque eres del Madrid si fueras del Barca te diria que eres perfecto jajaja, igual te amo, te deseo lo mejor te mereces todo, bendiciones.
Gracias Rafa por darnos tantos momentos inolvidables con tu juego, eres verdaderamente un campeón. Gracias Joely por expresar lo que es y como es Rafa.
someone needs to get this to him so he can read this.
Thank you Rafa for everything…. You are such a true warrior, true champion, true gentlemen…what a kind hearted man u r… Get well soon my hero n come back again next year to grab what u deserved… Vamosssss
THE MARKS OF A TRUE CHAMPION
After watching the Nadal vs. Wawrinka match last night, two quotes rang
in my ears:
True champions aren’t always the ones that win, but those with the most guts.
—- Mia Hamm
Champions are not the ones who always win matches – champions are the ones who get out there and try. And try harder the next time. And even harder the next time. ‘Champion’ is a state of mind. They are devoted. They compete to best themselves as much if not more than they compete to ‘better’ others. Champions are not just athletes.
—- Simon Sinek
I loved listening to Pete Sampras’ interview a day later concerning Rafael’s sportsmanship qualities. In his praise, he mention things like dedication, adaptability, flexibility, stamina, “heart”, and dedication to the sport and to his fan base. Rafa’s abilities are second only to his immense humility. IMHO, Rafa is one of the most amazing tennis champions and incredibly admirable human beings on the planet. I can only explain the “boo’s” heard from the audience last night as their anguish expressed for Rafa’s injury and for the unfortunate circumstances which robbed him of the chance to show his true colours. I’m not saying Wawrinka didn’t deserve to win; I’m saying he would have gone 5 sets had Rafa not injured himself beforehand. I didn’t appreciate Wawrinka’s cynicism; as he accused Rafa of playing mental games to the Umpire — very unsportsman-like. I thought that was more his tensions surfacing, than anything else.
THANK YOU, Rafa, for your dedication to the sport of tennis and to your burgeoning fan base. Your amazing tenacity and devotion to those who came to watch you play only helps me to understand why Rod Laver wanted a personal photo of YOU accepting the silver tray, and not Wawrinka being awarded the illustrious trophy. Sampras is right – we, your loyal fans, look forward to you making far more than 14 Grand slams… maybe 17 or 18 slams is more like it. Following you, Nadal the person, Nadal the ‘champion’ by the earlier definitions, is an honour & a privilege!
All the best and get well & healthy, Rafa-man! We love you. AAM
Amazing letter and an amazing way to express our for Rafa. This letter expresses my feeling too. In many bad and sad days many times I spend time watching Rafa’s old matches and it bring happiness to my life once again. Thank you Rafa, for who you are in and off the court. You have no idea for how many millions of people in the world you are a motif of joy. Vamos!
Rafa, eres un ser humano tan especial, un jugador fuera de serie. No tienes nada por lo que pedir disculpas. Todo lo mejor para tí, campéon!! un ejemplo a seguir.
Me quedaré corto ante tantas muestras de apoyo y cariño,. Rafa eres muy Grande y todos estamos y seguimos estando contigo ,no lo dudes, Mejoría para tu mano, descansa con los tuyos, quiero verte de vacaciones en Canarias, eres un Ídolo para nosotros como deportista ejemplar. Recibe el calor de esta nuestra bendita Tierra en forma de un gran abrazo colectivo. C. Javier
I say this with all sincerity that Rafa is the best and most exciting Sportsman I have ever seen, so happy there is such a humble person that competes in my favorite Sport. Love you so much Rafa get well soon.
Rafa was really a gr8 athlete on court during Australian final 2014 , he was injured and in pain yet he didnt pull out he kept at it to the very end
Stan Wawrinka wasnt very appreciative of Rafa s injury and started continuously complaining to the umpire which in my opinion was rediculous and unbecoming to a finalist in a Grand Slam
Rafa will come back soon and a special wish for a speedy recovery and a successful come back
I know!!! it was very disgusting from Wawrinka…It really showed that he has not appreciation for Rafa at alla even if he says that he has, she sow that for him his career is first, before relationships,which is completely different from Rafa. Anyway whatever it is Stans has to achieve a lot, he must have won the trophy but he never actually won peoples heart.
Thank you so much Rafa for being the example you are for us and our children!
He is a inspiration to the sport. A true champion on and off the court, a true champion in our hearts. Our prayers are with you Rafa and get well soon all the best in the futre and truly more happy days and finals for you Rafa
Sounds like a letter for a retiring outstanding athlete. Are you saying goodbye to tennis Rafa?
What a beautiful letter been put into words what all rafas fan feel in their hearts well done
that was really nice I feel the same he is a champion and a warrior please Mr tennis to me I enjoyed tonight and without it would be boring so good health to you rough a and make another good comeback the clay season starts soon
Thank you, Rafa!!!
Merci Rafa, merci rafito rogelio !
What a wonderful letter! Thank you, Joely!