In the myth of Rafa Nadal: the man who also defeated mathematics at Roland Garros

It took some time to conquer the French. A long time. Rafael Nadal knows this well. How they would have liked Rafa to have been born a little further away in the Mediterranean instead of Manacor. Maybe in Corsica, so as to be able to place that ‘drapeau blue, blanc and rouge‘ which has been missing from Paris for more than 40 years. It took Rafa years and victories to get ‘all’ of the French public. Initially, more than a few people had turned up their noses at that little Spanish boy with the unruly hair and pronounced biceps. There are many in Paris who are elegance and grandeur it is the world capital of it, they preferred the exploits of the other racket hero, Roger, more ‘elegant’ in his gestures on the court, more in keeping with that elegance which Paris has become a trademark of. Someone between the lines had also accused Nadal over the years. From public television and his investigations to the controversial satirical magazine Charlie Hebdowhich in June 2015, ten years after its first success, came out with a ‘vaguely suggestive’ cover.

In short, Rafael Nadal had to fight his opponents first and then a sort of prejudice. She had to convince, overcome allusions and envy. Feelings that, year after year, the more he won, the more they increased. Up to the ‘breaking’ point, in this case in the positive meaning of the term. Yes, because having nothing else to respond to other than the results brought by his talent, Nadal has never fallen into controversy. To those who chatted, alluded, cheered or sympathized elsewhere, he responded with the results on the field. And time, as it always does in the end, swept everything away. The French have surrendered, the most skeptical have surrendered, that part of the support has also surrendered – mostly federerian – who initially resented Nadal. They all bowed to the harsh reality of the facts, to what at a certain point becomes indisputable because it is evident. Yes because it has never existed in sport that can be defined as truly global – we don’t need skiers or swimmers, or other ‘niches’ practiced only for a portion of the world – something similar to the story between Rafael Nadal and Ronald Garros. One hundred and fifteen matches played over a period of 19 years, one hundred and twelve victories. Beating Nadal in Paris was almost impossible in the history of the game. What was needed was a gloomy Parisian day of total tennis grace from an extraordinary Scandinavian striker, Robin Soderling; and the class of the one who rewrote almost every record in the history of the game, Novak Djokovic. end. The other unfortunates who passed through Rafa’s clutches at Roland Garros always gave up. A kind of unwritten law, divine right transformed into reality. Yes, because if you stop to really think, if you weigh time and opponents, you will understand how the concept of 3 games lost out of 115 played in 19 yearsis totally meaningless, manifests itself as a reality with utopian connotationsof a slap in the face of statistical probability.

It may be for this reason that this last, probable, indeed, almost certain appearance in Paris has such a different flavor for Nadal. Rafa presents himself at this Roland Garros with a vulnerability that is almost endearing. Because for the first time in twenty years he knows he can’t win; because for the first time she knows she is here, after all, just to say hello, to pay homage to the arena that made her a legend. Even those French people who were initially so wary understood it. And it is no coincidence that they welcomed him from the first training session, even before the start of the competitions, with the tribute befitting the occasion.

Ultimately, everyone is retracing those emotions and sensations they already had some time ago, when Federer was the one who said goodbye. In those tears that became cult at the Laver Cup, Nadal saw – as we see him today on the Chatrier – a piece of life passing before him. Think about who you were and what you were doing in June 2005, when the newly 19-year-old Rafa won the first of his fourteen titles at Roland Garros.

It is from here that the emotion arises, from here that the almost collective desire to want to ‘protect’ Nadal in this, his last appearance in Paris, is triggered. It will be impossible not to cheer for him, even if you have never cheered for him. Nadal has set the pace of our lives in the last 20 springs, those that have allowed him to write numbers that will remain unmatched in the history of the game on this surface. 63 titles on clay. 91% of victories every time he played an official match on clay. 14 triumphs at Roland Garros, 12 titles in Barcelona and 11 titles in Monte Carlo. Nadal takes first, second and third place on the podium in the history of the game under the heading ‘players who have won the same tournament more than once’, leaving even the stories of Djokovic in Australia (10) or Federer in Halle and Basel (10). In short, we could continue with rows and rows of numbers and records on the surface, until they become redundant. Because numbers are indeed functional to the creation of the myth, but emotions then transcend statistics.

And this is why we are all still here today: the emotions. The memories that sport gives, the associations with moments in our lives. Many pass, some we remember, others they remain indelible. The last dance of Rafael Nadal, the man who essentially defeated probability in Paris by making the imponderable real, will certainly fit into the last of these categories. Get your tissues ready. We will need it.

Roland Garros 2024 will be broadcast exclusively on Eurosport 1 and Eurosport 2, as well as obviously on Discovery+, our streaming platform with all the courts available starting from the tournament qualifiers starting on Monday 20 May at 10:00. The main draw will start on Sunday 26 May with the first matches of the main draw. Only with our digital live streaming platform will you be able to enjoy total coverage of the courts to follow all your favorite tennis players with a one-of-a-kind offer. Subscribers to DAZN, Sky (channels 210 and 211), and Tim Vision will also have access to the two linear channels of Eurosport 1 and Eurosport 2 and will be able to enjoy the second Slam of the season starting from 26 May 2024, the day the draw tournament starts principal.

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