Rafael Nadal and Manolo Santana nominated by TV channel for 'The Best in History’ title to honor the most influential figure in Spanish history

Rafael Nadal and Manolo Santana have been nominated as two of the 50 personalities in contention for 'The Best in History' title by Spanish channel La 1.

The show is a Spanish adaptation of the successful format '100 Greatest Britons' created by BBC. It has more than 30 editions in countries including Germany, the USA, France, and Portugal.

As per the show's producer RTVE's website, they aim to discover the most 'relevant and admired' Spanish personality in history, as per RTVE.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion has lifted the Davis Cup five times with Spain and won two Olympic gold medals. He is admired for his contribution to the sport including opening the Rafa Academy in his hometown of Mallorca.

Rafael Nadal has been awarded the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award five times (2010, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021) and the ATP Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year in 2011.

From his humble beginnings as a ball boy, Manolo Santana won the French Open twice (1961, 1964), the US Open in 1965, and Wimbledon in 1966. He was awarded the 2020 ITF Philippe Chatrier Award for his contribution to tennis, both on and off the court. Santana died on 11 December 2021, at the age of 83.

Winners from the 50 nominees selected through an opinion poll will be announced after weekly rounds of online voting by viewers.

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Rafael Nadal fuels "fire inside" to stay competitive after 12-month hiatus

Rafael Nadal at the 2024 Brisbane International

Rafael Nadal recently spoke about life during his 12-month hiatus after hip surgery and the passion that he felt for the sport.

In a short clip shared by the ATP on social media, the former World No. 1 began by recounting the challenges that he faced post-surgery and the possibility of an impending retirement. He also acknowledged that while the forced time off was difficult professionally, it allowed him to spend more time with his family.

However, the 14-time French Open champion shared that to him, nothing compared to the rush of being on-court and being competitive.

"I have been very happy outside of tennis, and I think I can be very happy outside of tennis. But this adrenaline, these feelings that you have in any sport, are difficult to find on a daily basis. For me, it's about accepting the unpredictable. That’s the thing today. All the doubts that are normal after one year without playing a professional match," Nadal said (at 1:23).

"But I still have this fire inside to be competitive. Let’s see... I mean, I’m trying my best every day to put myself in a competitive position," the 37-year-old added.