Rafael Nadal has enjoyed a legendary career that has spanned over two decades.
His talent and work rate have transcended the sport in a way few ever expected anyone could.
With a supreme level of dynamism and athleticism that we will arguably never see again, he changed tennis for the better, and will leave a monumental imprint when he does officially leave.
Looking back on such a stunning career is never easy, and picking out the best bits when there have been so many is even arguably tougher.
Rafael Nadal recalls his favourite matches of his career
Speaking to Spanish outlet AS, the 38-year-old looked back on his legendary career, and tried his best to highlight the most memorable moments.
A near-impossible task, he could only settle on a few: ‘It is always easier and more logical to focus on the latest, because it is the most recent and the one we remember the most. But well, for me, there have been moments that have had great value.
‘Roland Garros 2006, for example. Because it was the first year after the foot injury. Really, and I don’t want to make an epic story, it’s true, we didn’t think I would play tennis at a competitive level again.
‘I remember that one, because we went through many bad times. The more advanced injuries in your career, when you have already achieved a lot, are tolerated in one way or are seen from a slightly different perspective.
‘But when you have just started and you have spent your whole life preparing for it and in the first year that you really have a good one they tell you that you will not play again, it is hard.
‘It was not a matter of a few weeks, but several months. From Madrid, which was indoor, until January, I could not find a solution.
‘And then Wimbledon 2008, the Olympic Games that year, which were also very nice, were key in my career.
‘All of 2013, because after 2012 when I was unable to play from Wimbledon to Vina del Mar [in February 2013] and I still had a lot of pain in my knee, everything that happened was very emotional… And Australia 2022 is one of the most exciting things I have ever experienced.’
Reliving Rafael Nadal’s ‘Miracle in Melbourne’
What is due to be his penultimate Grand Slam title, given Nadal plans to retire next month, it’s arguably quite perfect the way that the Spaniard’s time winning Majors ended.
After all, not only winning the Australian Open, but coming from two sets down in the final to overcome a Daniil Medvedev in blistering form, was sensational.
Ahead of the clash, the Russian was coming off of his first-ever Grand Slam title, having overcome the world number one Novak Djokovic in the 2021 US Open.
He seemed poised to double his tally against an ageing Rafael Nadal who had seen much of the previous year ravaged by injury.
And yet, from somewhere, he summoned the strength to find back from two sets and 0-40 down to win that game, then the set, then another set, and then the final set.
He would then cap things off by winning Roland Garros in the coming months, his last-ever Grand Slam title. Number 22. Perfect.
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