Rafael Nadal's niceness towards kids adds to his greatness, suggests Thomas Johansson

Rafael Nadal is “one of the greatest” tennis players of all time, but his greatness goes beyond the courts, feels former Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson.

Johansson is currently coaching Sorana Cirstea, who made a splash at the Sunshine Double by making the quarterfinals and the semifinals in Indian Wells and Miami, respectively. The Swedish coach was recently a guest on the Baseline Intelligence with Jonathan Stokke podcast, where he touched upon his tennis journey, coaching ventures and his views on some of tennis’ greats, including Rafael Nadal.

Former World No. 7 Johansson had the privilege of facing a young Nadal twice in his career, but was unsuccessful on both occasions. On the podcast, the father-of-two admitted that the 22-time Grand Slam champion is without a doubt his favorite player to watch, but he admires the legend more so for his humility and kindness towards his young fans off the court.

"I love Rafa. I think I appreciate him more now, because I have kids and I know, you know, how nice he is to all the kids that are coming up to him with autographs, photos," he said.

Thomas Johansson continued his praise of the Spaniard and called him “one of the greatest” tennis players, before reiterating that he was impressed by the 36-year-old’s off-court mannerisms as well.

"He is one of the greatest tennis players ever for me. But I also love his attitude off the court as well. So, he’s definitely one of my favorite guys," he said.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion is known for being welcoming towards his admirers. He frequently takes time out of his busy routine to click pictures and have conversations with his young fans.

The Spaniard has also been an inspiration to numerous of his colleagues from the new generation. Players such as Iga Swiatek, Holger Rune, Casper Ruud, Coco Gauff, Andrey Rublev, Sebastian Korda and Carlos Alcaraz have revealed the former World No. 1 to be one of their biggest idols.

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"He is an example, and he is also an example in all other areas" - Carlos Alcaraz on Rafael Nadal

The Spanish duo at the 2021 Madrid Open

World No. 2 and Madrid Open defending champion Carlos Alcaraz has taken center stage at the ongoing home tournament this year as Rafael Nadal remains absent due to a prolonged injury.

Alcaraz, who is the top seed at the Madrid Open, has great memories of his two meetings with the veteran at the tournament in 2021 and 2022.

In a recent interview in the Spanish capital, the 19-year-old revisited his first loss against his ‘idol’ Nadal and confessed that he was scared to face him.

"Well, in Madrid in 2021, on my 18th birthday, it was my first time playing Rafa and it was really tough for me to handle that I was about to play against Rafa, you know, my idol. I was scared then," Carlos Alcaraz said.

In 2022, Alcaraz managed to turn the tables and dismiss Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals en route to his title win. In the latest interview, the teenager credited Nadal for being his inspiration. He lauded the veteran for being an example off the court as well.

"I am inspired by the courage and the winning gene that he has inside," Carlos Alcaraz said. "To never go away, to never give up, and go for it all. For me, mentally, he is an example and he is also an example in all other areas."