Thank you, Rafa!

Rafael Nadal

As the hysteria of Nadal’s 13^th, and arguably his greatest Grand Slam win settles down, I couldn’t help but write this. Two days back, I watched Nadal roll around on the biggest tennis court in the world, crying like a baby.

Though people sort of saw this win coming (owing in no small part to his stunning hard court form), it still was thrilling, nail biting, awe inspiring and heart-warming at various stages of the match. For me, personally, it was as though one of my immediate family members had achieved something huge, something immensely satisfying.

I must admit that my following of Rafa started out of getting tired of Federer’s domination of the tennis world. I must also admit that I am a fan of “Fedal”, the term coined to refer to Roger and Rafa together.

But as much as I admired (I still do) Roger, it was frustrating to see that no one ever seemed to consistently challenge him. The greatest player in the history of the game needed a worthy challenger and he never got one. Until 2006.

On a bright Sunday afternoon, a kid with a sleeveless top, so unusual for Wimbledon, gave a glimpse of what the future held in a 4-set final against the Master himself. For a player who grew up playing on clay, it was not a mean feat. A year later, he would fall even more agonisingly short, losing in 5 sets. A year later, though, he was not to be denied.

I remember watching that match, holding my breath as that epic 4^th set tiebreak threw up one twist after another. And as Nadal lost that 4^th set after squandering two match points, like the commentators and probably a few millions of spectators, I knew that he had blown his chance. But Rafa then showed the world what he was made of.

There are so many wonderful articles on that match by so many better writers that writing anymore about it would be embarrassing myself. That day though, I was totally awestruck by the sheer resilience, perseverance and never-say-die attitude of the man. And if that wasn’t enough, the utterly modest and humble winning speech he came up with showed what a great champion he already was. All this, at the age of 22.

And who could forget that tender moment in 2009 when Rafa had his hand around the shoulders of Roger in Melbourne, assuring him that he was the greatest of all time and that he would go on to break Sampras’ record. I cannot think of any other player in any other sport who is as relentless and as ruthless an animal on court as Rafa, and can still be as humble and as gracious off it.

Needless to say, he became so much of an example and a role model to me that I started to read more and more about him. And the more I came to know, the more I marveled at the greatness of the man.

I have never seen someone so passionate about anything in life. Someone who constantly, genuinely strives harder to improve when they are so close to perfection. This is a guy who, aged 12, won an under-14 tournament with a broken finger. And this is the same guy who, now aged 27, said that he “enjoys” suffering to win matches.

Fifteen years, 13 Grand Slams and 47 other professional titles later, he still wants to suffer, still wants to win, still wants to chase lost causes, still wants to retrieve impossible balls, still wants to wield that Thor’s hammer of a forehand and more scarily, still wants and tries to improve.

Rafel Nadal (L) with Roger Federer

Rafa is the ultimate example of how sheer hard work, determination and an unrelenting attitude brings you success in life. Let’s be honest. He doesn’t have the finesse or grace of Roger, nor the range of shots or even technique of Novak or Andy or Pistol Pete, nor the big serving capabilities of a Berdych or a Goran. Yet, he has been more successful than many have been, or ever will be, by working to be physically and mentally the toughest player out there. He simply doesn’t know when to give up. Or rather, he doesn’t know what giving up actually means.

Just to give an idea of his achievements and efforts, I refer to this article that I came across in January 2012.

I don’t know how true the things mentioned in that article are, but to play for your life each match, knowing that you might not take the court again, and still give your 200%, is nothing short of exponentially inspirational. And to be doing that for years only makes one go speechless.

The other aspect that makes Nadal so special is his ridiculously down-to-earth nature and remarkable graciousness in victory or defeat. Observe how he refers to his opponents not by name. To think of it, phrasing your sentence as “It was a privilege to play the greatest player of all time” might sound a little more comforting or add joy to Federer after a loss or a win, than merely saying that it was a privilege to play Roger.

Similarly, Rafa has referred to Novak as “the no.1 player in the world” in various presentation ceremonies, immaterial of whether he was making a speech after winning the match or losing it. They may be small things, but you only have to listen to them at that moment to see what a difference they make.

Even if the most cynical of critics were to dismiss such things as disguise in front of the cameras (as if rehearsals would come to mind after, say, the small matter of winning your first ever Australian Open or losing a six-hour Grand Slam final), there are other instances where Rafa has shown his true colours.

Back in 2010, Nadal made a visit to Anantapur, India, which in 2006 was listed under the country’s 250 most backward districts. He opened a tennis school there and spent some time with the children. His visit was so discreet that no one from the media knew about his visit until he posted about it on his Facebook page after returning home.

I have had the privilege of seeing the man in flesh and blood. A small group of 100-odd fans had gathered outside a restaurant in Melbourne where Rafa was doing a photo shoot for a campaign before the 2012 Australian Open. He was kind enough to come out and sign autographs for the fans. And I distinctly remember him being escorted away two-three times by the organisers, only for him to turn around and come back and sign a few more autographs for people shouting “Please Rafa!”.

He was exactly how he comes across to be – humble, down to earth, shy and all smiles. He must have uttered “Gracias” at least twenty times in reply to whatever the waiting fans said in Spanish.

When you listen to him, it is amazing to think that he is only 27, an age where people are forgiven to be hot-blooded and temperamental. He acknowledges that things will never always be great and that at that the same time, you need to constantly keep working hard no matter how good or bad things are. His wisdom truly belies his age.

I don’t know if I have put anything that I learned from him to use. I don’t know if I ever will or can. But what I can safely say is that he has given me reasons to smile. There are people you follow because you like a certain trait of theirs. But there are people who affect you in a way that you start to think of their successes and failures as your very own. You don’t merely follow them. You idolize, worship and adore them. Not because you get bragging rights among your friends, but because you genuinely think of them as one of your own.

Thank you Rafa, for being the guy you are. You may never know, but you have put a smile on my face more times than I can ever remember. You have given me reasons to be happy. And though personally I havent been having the best of times recently, you put a big wide genuine smile on my face with your US Open triumph.

Watching you lying on your stomach and sobbing tears of joy brought a feeling that will probably be not trumped even if I were to achieve something huge. I just watched on, feeling as happy as if someone from my family achieved something big.

Thank you Rafa, once again, for giving me reasons to smile and be genuinely happy.

This is the brilliant article that motivated me to write this. Give it a read if you haven’t already.