Retirement of Rafael Nadal: when the Spanish legend recalled the five best sporting memories of his career

From Federer to Mbappé via Cristiano Ronaldo and Remco Evenepoel, they all pay tribute to Rafael Nadal: “A legend”

Davis Cup 2004

The Davis Cup and Nadal are a long love story. At least, when the calendar fit into his personal schedule. The native of Manacor lifted the Silver Salad Bowl four times with Spain: 2004, 2009, 2011 and 2019. Since the last final won against Canada, he has not played again with his country but at the end of year 2022, he explained that he hoped to taste it one last time. His wish will be granted from November 19 to 24 in Malaga, where he will play in the Final 8 alongside a certain Carlos Alcaraz.

Like any first, the 2004 edition remains one of his highlights for him. Aged only 18, during the final against the United States, Rafa brought home his team’s second point by beating world No. 2 Andy Roddick. Spain finally won 3-2 – the fifth match having been played out in vain – at the Olympic Stadium in Seville.

Roland-Garros 2005

A first Grand Slam title on the clay court of Porte d’Auteuil, that’s an unforgettable moment. At just 19 years old, with long hair and a white headband on his forehead, Nadal reached the final after taking the scalp of Roger Federer. A feat already preceded by a victory in three sets in the previous round against his compatriot and former winner of Roland-Garros, Juan Carlos Ferrero.

After a fierce fight lasting 3 hours 24 minutes, Nadal won 6-7 (6/8), 6-3, 6-1, 7-5 against Argentinian Mariano Puerta. The beginning of a long romance…

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Wimbledon 2008

This London Major final against Roger Federer is historic in more than one way. First, because after two finals lost in 2006 and 2007 against the Swiss, many predicted that Nadal would never win on grass. Then, because the meeting was incredible. Some observers consider this eighteenth clash between the two men to be one of the best matches of all time.

For 4h48 – the longest final in Wimbledon history until the Federer-Djokovic duel in 2019 – the two players will beat each other: 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-7 (8/10), 9-7. “This 2008 final was a masterpiece, both on a sporting and emotional level. Nothing was missing: neither the quality of the game, nor the twists and turns of the situation, nor the suspense.”wrote our journalist Miguel Tasso, on the occasion of the 40th “Fedal” in the semi-final of Wimbledon 2019. And to detail: “Trailing two sets to one, Federer erased two match points in the tie-break of the fourth set thanks in particular to a backhand passing from elsewhere. The last round was a thriller of another dimension. It was almost thanks to the light of the moon that the fight ended. At the end of the effort, with an excited audience on Center Court, Rafa snatched an epic break at 7-7. And, in the process, he won the victory.”

Australian Open 2009

Here again, we find Nadal and Roger Federer for an anthology meeting in the final of the Australian Open. After delivering a 5h14 marathon against Fernando Verdasco, some predicted that the Majorcan would break down physically. Error… After a long battle of 4 hours and 20 minutes, he won in five sets (7-5, 3-6, 7-6, 3-6, 6-2) and won his first triumph in the den of Melbourne Park. The first, too, for a Spaniard.

This success highlighted the player’s resilience, a quality that continued with him until the end of his career. And also strengthened his rivalry and mutual respect with Federer, in particular with this striking image of the first comforting the second moved to tears during the ceremony.

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US Open 2013

Away from the courts for seven months following a knee injury in 2012 and plagued by doubts, Nadal was reborn during the 2013 season, starting with a triumph at Roland Garros, then at the Masters 1000 in Canada and Cincinnati. Arriving at the US Open undefeated on hard court, he quite clearly beat the world number 1 at the time, the Serbian Novak Djokovic, in the final: 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1.