Sideline Story

What is Nadal’s biggest legacy in tennis?

Rafael Nadal has officially retired from professional tennis after his Davis Cup campaign. What do you remember the most about the Spanish legend in his 23-year career? Which moments stand out among his classic match-ups with his Big Three rivals? Also in this episode, we discuss if the current top competitors in men’s tennis have the potential to reach or even surpass Nadal’s heights.

Duration:: 25m
Broadcast on:: 22 Nov 2024
Audio Format:: other

(upbeat music) - Hello and welcome to the sideline story, your destination for sports news, analysis and discussions. I'm Yang Guan. For this episode, we will take the time to pay tribute to Rafael Nadal, who retired as a professional player after the Davis Cup. We will reveal Nadal's career and talk about what legacies he has left to the tennis world. Joining me here for the discussion are Brandon Yates and my colleague Guo Yang making her sideline story debut. Welcome Guo Yang. - Thanks for inviting me. - All right, we all know that Nadal, one of the greatest tennis players of all time, officially retired this week after the men's team competition, the Davis Cup. It's a long goodbye since Nadal made his retirement decision last month. Actually, he had painted at many occasions that 2024 would be his last season, but still when this moment truly comes, it just feels unreal, because we are so used to watching play on the tour. Countless injuries have made this man a struggle of the years. And I think Nadal thinks now it's right time to hand up his racket. Guo Yang, I know you are a big tennis fan. You've been following the top men's and women's tennis action for so long, we've witnessed the era of big three, great rivalry between Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. - If you must use one word to describe Nadal's career, what would that be? - Just one word. - Yeah, just one word. - Or there's so many words coming to my mind, but if I have to choose one word, I would say tenacity or tenacious. - Tenacious. - I think Nadal's career has been living testament to that word. This Nadal's career has been defined by his unyielding drive and perseverance, whether battling three injuries or coming back on the brink of defeat, his tenacity is a rival. - Right. I think it's in the French Open slogan, right? - Right. - The treatment to the most tenacious. - The most tenacious. - And it's a great summary of Nadal's career. Brandon, if you use one word to describe Nadal's career, what would you choose? - I mean, I would go with tireless, which is pretty similar to tenacious. And I think those are two very apt descriptions of somebody that kind of redefined how modern tennis athletes are perceived. Because when you think of someone that's one of Nadal's contemporaries, like Roger Federer, for example, when people talk about him, they talk about grace, beauty. They don't talk about his athleticism or his drive or his determination. But when you think about Nadal, those are the kind of things that you think about. You think about his incredible strength, his incredible speed and his stamina and his mental fortitude and just his ability to seemingly never give up. Which ultimately, I think, had a negative impact on his longevity. But ultimately, I think it also brought him a lot of success that may have not have been possible without all of those elements. So I think it was when we think of the era of the top three, and you think of the likes of Nadal, Jacobus and Federer. And of course, Jacobus is still going. And I think he's been one of those athletes that has been maybe kinder to his body and maybe also had a bit more luck than Nadal in terms of being able to continue to play at the highest level. But it was great to have a top three that were equally competitive and relatively equally successful, but also incredibly different in terms of their approach to the game. One thing that does make me feel a little bit sad about Nadal retiring is now, when I look at myself in the Zoom camera, I can see the lines on my face and I can see like, wow, okay, I'm also getting older. So it makes me, because I've been watching him for so many years and I've aged just as Nadal has aged. But what a privilege it has been to watch, not just this particular player over the last 25 years, I think it's almost been 25 years, which is a quarter of a century, which is absolutely ridiculous to be playing at the level that he's played at for such a long time. But just to see the variety on the court, I mean, when I say variety, yes, I mean, grand slams and just overall success over that time period has been dominated arguably by only three men. But it was quite easy to differentiate between the three and when it comes to fans, it was also quite easy to kind of pick a favorite because all three of them were so different. So, you know, all three of those athletes kind of divided opinions. But speaking of divided opinions, I mean, I think one opinion that remains, you know, an equivalent, I think everyone can agree on this is that even though Nadal brought that tenacity and tireless attitude to the court and was seemingly, you know, incredibly competitive and ferocious, I would even say, you know, in terms of his style and his never give up attitude, I think a lot of people perceived him to be a certain way on the court that would also, you know, follow him off the courts. You know, people would assume that he would be aggressive or not particularly kind or anything like that because that was kind of his attitude on the court. But as soon as a match was over or whenever he would give a post-match interview or just when you hear, you know, some of his, you know, some of the people that he's played with and interacted with over the years, they describe him as an incredibly nice guy, incredibly humble and just a very down-to-earth sort of character. And I think, you know, obviously we don't know him, but when you hear what people say about him, you know, from people that do know him and when you listen to his interviews, whether it's after a match or, you know, just, you know, for sit down interviews and that sort of thing, he does seem like just a really good guy. So I think that he, yeah, he's tireless, he's tenacious, he's ferocious and I think he definitely elevated the sport particularly when it comes to consistency and bringing an athletic element to a sport that was previously dominated by, I would say, natural talents. He will also be regarded as one of the good guys of the sport and I think it's a sad day for tennis because we're losing a phenomenal player, but we're also losing a phenomenal guy. I don't think tennis will lose Nadal entirely. I think, you know, he will take some time away from the sport, but I think he will be involved in the sport in some capacity for many, many years. But to not see him playing at the highest level at Grand Slams anymore, I think it's a big, big loss for the sport. And I think he will be remembered not just for the incredible player that he was and the incredible success that he achieved, but also just for being a really, really wonderful human being. Yeah. - Right. I think he's been deemed as the beacon of resilience by his fans and he's kind of inspiring his fans for many years by illuminating their path and encouraging them to moving forward in their own career and life. And that's one of the most important, I think, mental encourage for all of us. That's why I followed him many years. And I couldn't forget his iconic topspin forehand. Actually, when I was in university, I tried to do that move, but I finally, it's really hard. And he could, and this iconic move make his opponents hard to receive the balls. And it's a very important legacy for Nadal brought to the tennis court. Yeah, man, I missed the time of the big three and to, you know, compare those characters, the three characters. But I think sometimes they are tagged with some labels, with some stereotypes from people. You know, people obviously, Roger Fairways, the most elegant player. And Rafael Nadal is the most hardworking player, not only because he always fine tunes his skills, he's always running on the courts, but he is actually the hardworking player. As Brandon mentioned, he participated in every single tournament in a calendar year, which is just amazing. And also one of the reasons that to so many injuries for him. And Novak Djokovic is known for all around skills. He plays basics to the utmost. But when you look at their careers, maybe you will find that Nadal can also play elegant tennis and Novak Djokovic can also run tirelessly on the courts. So I think the three players have learned so much from each other and made them perfect on the tour. That's one of the reasons why the era of the big three is so beautiful. If there's one stereotype I would describe Nadal using one word that would be run. Because the biggest impression of Nadal's game for me is he's always running, running all over the court. No matter how difficult it is, how hopeless it is. When you're all through the competition. Yeah, he never gives up running to save the ball, to return the ball. Novak Djokovic once said, "The most valuable thing he learned from Nadal is the spirit of never giving up, never giving in." And he said to play against Nadal is like fighting a ball that never renders and never steps back. I think that's a great summary of Nadal's character. That's something we all can relate to with ourselves. I guess it's not only the most valuable thing Novak Djokovic has learned from Nadal, but for us, for every people. We all can relate to that. Yeah. However, there's always time for every single athlete to bow out from professional sports and no exception for Nadal in this case. But many sports stars are remembered after their retirement with what they have achieved, what they have gained, what with what they've done, setting examples for youngsters to follow their footsteps. And Nadal is definitely among those names. Goyan, what do you think is the biggest legacy Nadal has left to the tennis world? Well, I think the legacy of Nadal could be, I would like to mention two parts. The first part is his remarkable achievements on the tennis court. He won 14 French Open titles and 22 Grand Slams. Right, yeah. And he is known as the King of the Red Clay. He's of course the goat, the greatest of all time tennis player. This is, this wonderful achievements is really, should be remembered by many generations of tennis players. And it will make, it will be marked in history, in the history of sport. And another legacy I would say is a spiritual one. He's like Brandon has mentioned, his spirit of never giving up is by generations of young people, including me when we are faced with struggle, when we're struggling difficulties in our life. And I think the spiritual one will be immortal. It's something immortal. And I would love to draw a comment posted on Chinese social media by one of his huge fans here. And which is really touching. I would like to read part of this speech by the fan for you. Okay, I think Nadal would be like to listen. And I will convey the message of his biggest fan in China for this legendary tennis player. At 38, Rafael Nadal is no longer the long-haired, fearless young man in a sleeveless shirt who once chased his dreams on the clay courts of Roland Garros. Age has loaded his steps and dulled the one's razor-sharp weapons of his game, the punishing topspin forehand and relentless movement. When his signature inside-out forehand, the one that used to tear through opponents was neutralized by Alexander Zwerev's calm defense. Perhaps Nadal realized it may be time to say goodbye. 14 titles at Roland Garros, only three losses in 18 attempts, Nadal's random clay is unparalleled. Yet even the greatest must eventually bow to time. But how could we ever forget the brilliance of his career? The pinnacle of 2008 when he fulfilled his Olympic dream in Beijing and other his incredible tasks and achievements. He inspired us not just with victories, but with his unwavering tenacity and his ability to give his absolute best in every moment. Right. Yeah, what a comment. Such a beautiful poem I would say. And thank you for bringing this to the show. I think it brings the show to a very emotional point. Yeah, look, I think that is a very touching tribute for somebody that definitely deserves, you know, incredibly high regard and deserves to be remembered with, you know, the fondest of appreciation. Look, just from a journalist perspective and just from, you know, statistics and from a sporting points of view, 22 grand slams, 14 Roland Garros titles. I mean, he's going to go down as, in my opinion, not the greatest, but definitely one of the greatest players of not just his generation, but of all time. And I think that is highly, highly accurate. But away from that, I think that his sportsmanship, his humility and just being an ambassador for the sport, I think that is something that he's also going to be remembered for quite some time. I think he's a great representative of a sport, you know, that can sometimes bring out a nasty element to some people because it is an individual sport and it does require, you know, a certain level of ferociousness, which is sometimes needed on the court, but then away from the court, you know, it is also equally important to stay humble and be a good person and, you know, just spread joy and kindness. And I think that Rafael Nadal was somebody that did that to a very, very high level. But he also maybe changed the way that a lot of young people approach tennis, maybe, you know, a lot of prospective athletes spent a lot more time working on their stamina, working on their strength in the gym and that sort of thing, where previously, maybe that wasn't something that was required in tennis. And I think he changed that. I think he made it a lot more necessary for top-level competitors to be strong and have great stamina and speed and bring more athleticism to a sport that previously just relied on talent and grace and, you know, just a good IQ for the sport. He definitely changed that. So I guess he made the sport more difficult for his competitors. And you probably also find that a lot of young kids around the world, instead of picking up a racket with their right hand, picked up a racket with their left hand, you know, I think that being a left-handed tennis player was also something that his competitors struggled with. So you probably also find that there will be a lot more lefties in tennis than previously. Yeah. Interestingly, Nadell actually was born not lefty. He changed to lefty. Yeah. And he almost, he almost became a soccer player. Yeah, yeah. He was a young boy. He liked play soccer. And I think he showed a huge talent for the soccer game, but his uncle Tony, thanks to his uncle Tony, found his talent in tennis. And then we could see this super tennis star in the sports game. Yeah, I would say he's the most talented tennis player in football. I think that's one of the common, some common or some similarities between the world's top or elite athletes. If they, I think this kind of this gift for sport, whatever the sport is, tennis, swimming, basketball, or soccer, if you have this talent, you can do almost everything very well. Yeah, right. But not for Shen Li Hao, the Chinese student champion. Anyway, I think the biggest legacy that he has led to the tennis world is his technique, the tops being shot. I would say he played that technique to the utmost, especially on clay. Actually, high-speed camera once caught. That was tops being shot. And it had the rotation speed of 5,000 revolutions per unit similar to a sports car. Just crazy. No wonder no his opponent could receive that. Yeah, and nowadays many players actually imitate what Nadal did with tops being shots, including Ovek Djokovic. I could see Djokovic, nowadays play a lot of tops being shots. And the tops being shots are always seen in women's tennis nowadays. So I would say that's the biggest legacy technique wise from Nadal. Another legacy might be the Nadal Academy in tennis. It has cultivated so many tennis players. Yeah, very good contribution to the tennis world, especially youth development. When we talk about Raphael Nadal, it seems like inevitably we should mention the big three and so many classic matchups between them. I just can't forget the 2012 Australian final between Nadal and Djokovic. It's actually the longest men's singles final at Grand Slams in history, lasting six hours. In the end the two players had to receive their trophies sitting in the chair because they were too exhausted to stand straight. Even though Nadal lost in that epic final, I ought to still call it the most memorable match when I take a look at back Nadal's career. I'm a Djokovic fan watching that match was a torture to me because every time Djokovic got up a hand, Nadal could always manage to come back. It's the first time I started to realize, oh, this man never quits. I mean, Nadal, there's no way this man could surrender points easily. I think that's the starting point for me to learn how tough Nadal is. I recommend every tennis fan to watch that recap because it's just so classic. Goyan, what's your most memorable match throughout Nadal's career? I would say it's the 2008 Wimbledon in which Nadal played against Roger Federer and he dethroned this legendary tennis player. It's the first time and it's really an epic one. I think he's really unforgettable, the winning court and this five set thrillers and he has gone through a long competition and also battled with his injuries. I think that one was an epic one and he really marked down in the tennis history. Because everyone thinks Roger Federer equals Wimbledon. Nadal equals French Open but Nadal dethroned Roger Federer in that. In London, that match was disrupted a few times by rain and Nadal was leading two sets to love. I think Roger Federer caught up. I think Nadal won in the tie-brick in the lead in the signing tie-brick. Yeah, what a match. And also in the same year, 2008, Nadal traveled to Beijing for the 2008 summer Olympics and he also won the gold. So that made that year really impressive for me. Yeah, so from many Chinese fans perspective, maybe the Olympic gold medal campaign from Nadal is the most memorable journey for them. Brendan, what's your choice here? Well, I mean something else that Nadal was also able to achieve in 2008 was going through the whole of Roland Garros without dropping a sit. Oh yeah. Which is also a truly remarkable achievement but just on that 2008 Wimbledon final. I mean, that's probably not just the most memorable Nadal match that we've seen. I think it's the most memorable tennis match I've ever watched. I mean, I can remember exactly where I was. I was at my father's house in Durban just to kid and I remember we had to delay our evening plans by like two hours because we weren't even major tennis fans but everyone in our family was texting us and saying you have to turn this on, you have to watch the sister's history happening. And I think a lot of households in South Africa and around the world kind of stopped what they're doing just to see these two grates of a phenomenal sport just going toe to toe and giving absolutely everything. And for Nadal to come out on top on like you mentioned Yang Guang, a surface where Federer was seemingly unbeatable. That was a truly momentous moment not just in tennis but in sport. And when you think back on their careers, I don't think there was a moment where Federer was actually able to dethrone Nadal in the final of Roland Garros. So the fact that Nadal was able to do it on Federer's court that kind of is a big arguing point when you think of going through the grades of all time. The fact that Nadal was able to beat Roger Federer on a surface where he was seemingly unbeatable in the final of the biggest tournament on that surface that was incredibly, incredibly momentous. But for me, you know, yes, he is the king of play but to not drop a set at that level against the competition that he was facing that was also incredible. So yeah, I think that 2008 Wimbledon final definitely stands out but that entire year that golden summer that he had in 2008, wow, that was an incredible moment for Nadal's career and just in the history of the sport. Yeah, 16 years past time flies and tennis now belongs to the new generation. But if we take a look at the biggest competitors in men's tennis today, Brandon, Janik Sinha and Carlos Alcaras, do you think we have the chance to reach Nadal's height in the future? It's so hard to predict the future obviously but I just think that even at this early stage, I don't think we've seen the same levels of consistency from the likes of Sinha and Alcaras that we've seen from, you know, Nadal, Federer and Jakubic at a similar stage. Mate, you know, I mean, the gap is not too far but I just think that the playing field in tennis at the moment just seems to be a little bit more level. So I don't know if the likes of Sinha and Alcaras will be able to accumulate the same amount of grand slam titles at least that Nadal, Jakubic and Federer were able to achieve but that being said, if I did have to pick one and I'm just going with a gut feeling over here because, you know, I think Janik Sinha and Carlos Alcaras are both incredibly talented players and, you know, have the potential to dominate the sport for quite some time but I just have this feeling that Alcaras might just have a little bit more talent, a little bit more athleticism at this stage in his career at least. We have seen some incredible drops in form from Alcaras in the early stages of his career but he is still very, very young and I think that he does have a lot of time to fine-tune his game. Yeah, let's see if Carlos Alcaras can catch this baton from Nadal to be the best Spanish player in tennis but all the blessings to Nadal and his life after retirement, his legacies will long exist in the tennis world. With that we end this episode of Sightline Story. Thank you so much for joining us. Subscribe to Sightline Story wherever you listen to podcasts. For more information you can also check our website, radio.cgtn.com. See you next time.