ARTICLES:
- Roland Garros misses Rafael Nadal, but the show went on | tennis.com
Casper Ruud: “My earliest memory of watching tennis is him (Nadal) winning his first Roland Garros. From there on—I was like six years old—I said to myself, ‘I always want to play tennis on TV one day’. That’s sort of where my dream to become a professional player started. . . It’s a little strange, but, you know, the tournament still goes on. No one is sort of bigger than the sport.”
- Carlos Alcaraz appreciates love and energy from ‘Rafael Nadal fans’ at French Open 2023 | sportskeeda.com
In the post-match press conference, a journalist informed Alcaraz about numerous Nadal fans getting behind the junior Spaniard. The 20-year-old stated that he didn’t know about the Mallorcan’s fans, but was glad to receive the support of so many people.
“Well, yeah, I feel the love from the people. You know, I don’t know if they are the Rafael Nadal fans or not, but I felt the energy from the crowd. I felt the love, you know, and it was great to feel that,” Carlos Alcaraz said.
- Rafael Nadal Was the Immovable Object | GQ
Here are some body parts that Rafael Nadal has torn: his hamstrings, and his quadriceps. His left patellar tendon, abdomen, and left costal arch. His abdomen again. He’s dealt with tendinitis, arthritis, and repeated issues with both wrists. He has hip problems. Last year, at Indian Wells, he broke a rib midway through his semifinal match. He won that match, and then went out and played the final. “I could barely breathe but I decided to play the final because they told me it was probably a muscle spasm,” he said afterward. Normal stuff.
The body always wins. Even after that win at Wimbledon in 2008, there were questions about how well Nadal’s knees would hold up. He was 22. My old colleague Jon Wertheim wondered at the time whether he’d be “sufficiently healthy to play at this level for many more years.”Evidently, no matter the pain he’s been in for the last 15 years, he’s been able to play major-winning-level tennis. Perhaps until now.
There is a statue of Nadal at the entrance of the Stade Roland Garros. That it was revealed in 2021 should highlight just how unusual Nadal’s competitive relationship with the tournament is: not only was he still active when he was memorialized, he went out and won the tournament again the year after he received, basically, a lifetime achievement award. It is about nine feet tall and made of steel, capturing Nadal as he wails on a forehand, both feet off the ground. To support this pose, a series of metal cables hold his form afloat. His metallic body is full of holes, and still, he is striking.
VIDEO: Nole wants a “friendly relationship” with Rafa
“I saw him more than I’ve seen my parents in the last 20 years. We’ve shared the stage for so long, there’s this connection. Even though we’re rivals and haven’t spent too much time privately, we could have developed a friendly relationship which I hope we will after our careers but he’s still such an integral part of my career and who I am as a player and a person. So I’m really grateful for all the matches that we had here and throughout our careers and our rivalry.”
Social media related to Rafa:
Wishing Rafa all the very best and hoping for a positive outcome from his surgery. It would be wonderful to see him back on court fit and competing the way he wants to.
Just read on-line that Rafa has undergone arthroscopic surgery on his psoas muscle in Barcelona today. Hopefully this will identify if there is damage to the muscle, how to repair or fix it. Hope it bring some encouraging new for Rafa and his team.
Lets be optimistc.
Hope he gets to court next month, finds an elixir, gets to full form and back to court and play and wins titles in America and onwards.
And he continues for a couple of more years and maybe one more and then retires.
Its not impossible, hes just not there yet, doesnt mean he wont be. Just as the negatives gone longer than expected, why not an equally good positive come out of it.
You dont have to prove anything to anyone. Many of your achievement may never be paralled ever.
Just hope you win the WTF once befor you call it a day.
Get back soon Rafa, tennis misses you, we miss you, waiting for a positive update.
Let’s hope for Rafa’s glorious return to Roland Garros in 2024! Perform your magic one more time, Rafa! Make it 15!!!!!! Vamos!
As more news follows 2023 FO, we appreciate even more the consistency, humility, and absolute respect Rafael Nadal had for the game of tennis. While writers try to generate
interest and create buzz, the attitudes and antics of some of the “pros” are bizarre. Rafael Nadal, tennis still needs you💪👏🎾🏆❤️🙏
Love you Rafa and thal you for all the memories❤️
Thank you Rafa for all the 20 years of joy watching you play and win. I have every bit of memorabilia and loved watching you on television and in person and following your career day by day. You gave your all while keeping your poise and humility and fairness and love and respect for the game and your opponents. It is time for you to enjoy the fruits of your labor and your family. Time for both of us to take it easy. Myself at 90 and you at your very young age. You’ve done it all and you did it your way. Thank you.
Sad, but all good things come to an end. Time waits for no one, and the clock never stops. I do hope Rafa recovers enough to give everything he has for his final year. But, even if he doesn’t we appreciate and treasure all the memories he has given us so far. I respect and appreciate Novak’s words and sentiments. It’s true they are fierce rivals and friendship on the tour isn’t possible, but there is mutual respect and a long professional connection between them. No matter what else.