The Matador

In Spanish, matador is short for "matador de toros". Matador is the primary bullfighter who ultimately kills the bull in the spanish bullfighting contests. This week one such matador decided to hang his boots or shall I say rackets. I am referring to Rafael Nadal, the ultimate figher, the raging bull, the magician from Mallorca, Spain.

Rafa, as he is fondly known, was known for the innumerable setbacks (mainly injuries) he received through his illustrious career spanning more than two decades. But every setback was followed by a even more gritty comeback. So what if the body did not cooperate, he made up for that with his mental stregth and fighting attitude. His tennis career was defined by his warrior spirit, fighting every point as if it were life or death. He will be remembered not just for his titles, but for his perseverance, humility, and the heart he poured into every match, every game, every point.

Throughout his career, the left-handed Mallorcan maverick dazzled the spectators and dazed the opponents with his game. His dominance on clay courts, particularly at Roland Garros with 14 French Open titles, was unparalled. From unbelievable court coverage, unleashing the fearsome forehands to unwavering fighting spirit to , he brought a different kind of game, a rustic yet ruthless brand of tennis. His style of play, which at first seemed ugly and unsustainable, but developed, over time, an aesthetic value of its own. What made it even more special was the chalk and cheese type of contrast with that of one of his greatest rivals on court and friend off court, Roger Federer. With Federer you could have love at first sight, but Rafa grew on you slowly but steadily.

I am a sworn Federer fan. I was deeply pained every time Rafa beat Federer. But it is Rafa that made Federer sweat and earn his titles after his monopoly from 2004 to 2007 was converted into a duopoly by the arrival of a 17 year old Nadal on the tour in 2007. Without Rafa, one can argue that Federer would have collected many more grand slams than he eventually ended up with. But without doubt, it was Rafa who made Federer what he is and I am sure vice versa is true too. People do not enjoy one sided domination, people enjoy great contests and Rafa completed that aspecte in the Federer story. Even with such a fierce rivalry on courts, contrasting styles, they continued be to be great friends off the court.

The picture of Rafa holding Federer's hand and both crying like babies during Federer's farewell match in 2022 is one for posterity.

You would never see any players, forget rivals in such a frame. You could not pose for camera like that. The picture shows raw, genuine inner emotions. It is sports spirit at its best.

At Roland Garros, they installed a ten-foot tall steel statue of Rafa. It's rare to have statues of players when one is still actively playing. But everytime we see a picture of Rafa standing by his statue, it reminds us which one of the two has more tensile strength. Ofcourse, it is Rafa, the player and not the statue. Ofcouse, the immitation cannot match the original. Rafa is steelier than steel.

Vamos Rafa.