Rafael Nadal has won 14 French Open titles and 22 Grand Slams overall, but now it’s adios to one of the greats of the game
His dominance of the clay transcended tennis itself and is arguably the most dominant any athlete has ever been at any given arena in any sport.
But never far from physical issues in his glittering career, Nadal soaked in the emotion of a memorable but bittersweet evening in Malaga as his professional career came to an end.
The Spaniard played 116 matches at the French Open on Roland Garros’ clay and won 112 of them. His win percentage (96.6 per cent) is the best of any player in a single Grand Slam event.
There is an argument that the numbers are skewed by Nadal’s dominance on the dirt, but four US Opens, two Wimbledon crowns and two Australian Open titles are not to be sniffed at.
Who is the greatest of them all is a debate that will rage for years to come but Nadal’s bulging haul of trophies means even the most ardent Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic fans cannot dispute the Spaniard’s supremacy on clay.
