Rafael Nadal: reminding us how precious he is

Rafael Nadal of Spain stands next to Novak Djokovic of Serbia during the trophy presentation after winning the men’s singles final on Day Fifteen of the 2013 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 9, 2013 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

Without a Rafa, would there be the current intense rivalries in men’s tennis? Without a Rafa, would Novak have to consistently elevate his game and in turn compel his opponent to elevate his still further?

There wouldn’t be the heart-stopping drama of a fifth set in the French Open semi-finals or the mind-boggling turnaround of a third set in the US Open final if Rafa hadn’t been there. His being a part of it all was what made it all the more pulsating.

Never one to give up, he demonstrated all those traits that bewitched the tennis world when he made his Grand Slam breakthrough eight years ago. He might trail, but his dogged persistence will tire you out and he will catch up with you.

As the legendary American football coach Vince Lombardi once commented, “The real glory is being knocked to your knees and then coming back”. Rafa’s brilliant resilience and tenacity made him snatch the third set in the final even after going down 0-2 and then 0-40 in the ninth game. Perhaps that set was a microcosm of the southpaw’s entire career – never a frontrunner, always playing catch up!

And that is exactly why we need him – to make us believe that it is never a shame to lose if you always have your self-belief intact; to remember that it is never a crime to go down if you have the courage to fight back. Today, if he is sitting on the cusp of being crowned the World No. 1 again after climbing his way back from outside the top four, it is just reward for his tireless perseverance and diligence and the product of the fact that he never lost faith in himself.

Always true to his commitment, less than two days after his momentous achievement, he was back in Madrid sharing fun moments with his compatriots, helping them enter the Davis Cup World Group and in the process showing us how important it is to remain grounded. He brought an extra verve and zest into the team, and his passion and selflessness were for all to see. The tireless Rafa invested himself in the singles as well as the doubles competition for two days in a row that ultimately sealed the deal for his country.

Through the years, Rafa has grown up from the forehand-brandishing, fist-pumping, long-haired, pirate pants and sleeveless tee-clad boy to the much more poised and mature man devoid of the raw boyishness or the childish outfits. But his ability to endure never changed. That pain is not a deterrent; rather, it makes you battle-ready for the greater duels in life, and that’s what he keeps on proving time and again.

That, in a nutshell, is the essence of being Rafael Nadal.