Every so often an athlete makes such a huge mark on their sport that they begin to influence those outside it. That certainly rang true for Rafael Nadal – the 22-time Grand Slam champion earned respect from those across all different sports throughout his storied career, being labelled among the best athletes in the world before his retirement in November this year.
Rafael Nadal transcended tennis with his electrifying eccentricity on the court, gaining admiration not only from those around him, but some of the greatest sporting idols across the globe.
Nadal lodged himself as one of the best to grace the court, with 92 ATP-level titles and 22 Grand Slam crowns – 14 of which came on the famous clay courts of Roland-Garros.
Tributes flooded in for the Spaniard upon his final bow, with tennis greats such as Djokovic and Serena Williams effusing over his incredible achievements.
And while many flocked to display their admiration for Nadal upon his retirement, he also gained many plaudits across the sporting world during his dominant playing days.
We take a trip down memory lane to see what some of the most iconic figures in the world of sport had to say about Nadal.
THE BEST ATHLETE EVER’
John McEnroe, who won seven Grand Slam singles titles and 10 major doubles titles, remains the only men’s player in tennis history to hold the world No. 1 ranking in both singles and doubles simultaneously, and he ranked Nadal alongside another legend as the “greatest athletes of all time”.
“The two greatest athletes of all time are Bjorn Borg and Rafael Nadal,” McEnroe said. “[Roger] Federer is one of the greatest players ever, but I don’t think he’s as good an athlete as those two.”
Borg himself was a clay specialist, but saw Nadal’s performances on the red dirt as “unbelievable”.
He told The Athletic: “I grew up on clay. Nadal grew up on clay. He’s the one. To see him play on clay courts, it’s so fantastic. He’s unbelievable. I can relate to how he knows how to move players around the court.”
McEnroe was not the only star to claim that Nadal was the best overall athlete, with world No. 8 Andrey Rublev sharing a similar sentiment.
“He is not just the best tennis player; he is the best athlete ever,” Rublev said in 2020.
“I can’t imagine not only how it is possible to win so many Slams but also how it is possible to achieve what he has done and how it is possible to be as mentally strong during the whole career.”
Speaking in 2022, retired French tennis star Guy Forget echoed Rublev’s thoughts, saying: “For me, Rafael Nadal has achieved the greatest feat in the entire history of sport. Period. He is above [Muhammad] Ali, Pele or [Michael] Jordan.
“A champion who is able to win 14 times the toughest tournament on the planet, the most difficult thing that exists, there are not any.
“We said when Borg won Roland-Garros six times, it’s monstrous. No one will do better. Sampras has won 14 Grand Slam titles. Nadal has won Roland-Garros 14 times. It’s unimaginable.”
Federer scooped 20 Grand Slam titles. He had a long-standing friendship and on-court rivalry with Nadal, and heaped plenty of praise on the Spaniard over the course of their careers.
Back in 2019, he said: “I think we are very different personalities or maybe also player types. The way we go about it is very different, but yet we both find a way to excel…
“I think it all adds to the cool rivalry that we had. And then you add all the foundation stuff we have had, promotional things we have done for the tour, political things…it’s been quite a journey with Rafa side by side.”
Fellow retired tennis star Williams said that she has “always been a Rafa fan,” to the point where she named a pet after him.
“I named my dog after him,” Williams said. “He’s so cute. I miss the little guy. So obviously, I’m always rooting for Rafa.”
Nadal had a profound effect on inspiring the next generation, and that was not lost on women’s world No. 2 Iga Swiatek – who spoke about her admiration for the Spaniard.
“I would say the most inspirational player for me on tour is Rafa Nadal because he’s never giving up, and he can win matches even though everybody is thinking like he’s going to lose it,” Swiatek said.
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“Even though he’s the greatest in the world, he’s always changing something and trying to improve.”
Andy Murray is another tennis star who chimed in with praise for Nadal over their years of fierce on-court battles.
The pair faced off 24 times, with Nadal claiming 17 victories, including in Roland Garros, Wimbledon and US Open semi-finals in 2011. And Murray hailed his counterpart’s conduct throughout his career.
“I’ve always said how much I loved watching Rafa on the court. He’s a brilliant role model, not just for other players to watch and look up to, but anyone who is in the public eye,” Murray said after defeating Nadal at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in 2021.