Adiós, Rafa - We will miss the Vamos, the pincushions, the sash tied across his forehead, and the sleeveless jerseys soiled with red

The retirement from tennis of Rafael Nadal, tormented in recent years by an endless series of injuries and physical ailments, had been looming for some time. Yet, it seemed like it would never actually come, partly due to his categorical—and at times irritated—refusal to discuss it publicly, and partly because of the final chapter he painstakingly tried to give himself; a farewell tour made up of a few appearances at the tournaments most meaningful to him, such as the Olympic Games and Roland Garros, and the rest of the time devoted to taking care of a body far beyond worn out. In the end, though, that moment has arrived, with the farewell message—a nearly five-minute video—posted yesterday by Nadal on his Instagram profile. “I feel truly fortunate for all the things I’ve been able to experience,” says the Mallorcan, “and I want to thank the entire tennis community, all the people who make it up, and above all, my great rivals.” A dedication, obviously, directed at his two eternal competitors, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, emphasized by the images that accompany it. “I’ve gone through so much with them, lived moments I will remember for my entire life.”

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Un post condiviso da Rafa Nadal (@rafaelnadal)

Next month, Nadal will take the court for the last time, representing his Spain in the Davis Cup: “the best way to close the circle,” he says. “Mil gracias a todos,” the words with which the curtain falls, as we await the tears that will inevitably—or almost inevitably—flow on November 24th, during his final goodbye. Even though the current version of Nadal, as expected for a 38-year-old with such mileage, is a faded copy of the legendary tennis player he once was, Malaga will be the last chance to feel those emotions that Rafa has gifted the public for over twenty years. Intense, physical, penetrating—like his game and the spirit with which he faced every battle: a “vamos,” a fist pump, a sleeveless shirt, a banana, an unconventional forehand, and one marathon on the clay court after another, all the way to his stoic resistance against Father Time, crowned by the incredible triumph in Paris two years ago, before reaching the end of the road. “I leave with the absolute peace of having given my all,” he says proudly, “of having given everything in every possible way.” And as an old ad from the brand that dressed him for fifteen years once said, “we are all witnesses.”

The Nadal's Aesthetic

Adiós, Rafa We will miss the Vamos, the pincushions, the sash tied across his forehead, and the sleeveless jerseys soiled with red | Image 537037

Adiós, Rafa We will miss the Vamos, the pincushions, the sash tied across his forehead, and the sleeveless jerseys soiled with red | Image 537038

Adiós, Rafa We will miss the Vamos, the pincushions, the sash tied across his forehead, and the sleeveless jerseys soiled with red | Image 537039

Adiós, Rafa We will miss the Vamos, the pincushions, the sash tied across his forehead, and the sleeveless jerseys soiled with red | Image 537040

Adiós, Rafa We will miss the Vamos, the pincushions, the sash tied across his forehead, and the sleeveless jerseys soiled with red | Image 537042

Adiós, Rafa We will miss the Vamos, the pincushions, the sash tied across his forehead, and the sleeveless jerseys soiled with red | Image 537043

Adiós, Rafa We will miss the Vamos, the pincushions, the sash tied across his forehead, and the sleeveless jerseys soiled with red | Image 537044

Adiós, Rafa We will miss the Vamos, the pincushions, the sash tied across his forehead, and the sleeveless jerseys soiled with red | Image 537045

Adiós, Rafa We will miss the Vamos, the pincushions, the sash tied across his forehead, and the sleeveless jerseys soiled with red | Image 537049

Adiós, Rafa We will miss the Vamos, the pincushions, the sash tied across his forehead, and the sleeveless jerseys soiled with red | Image 537046

Adiós, Rafa We will miss the Vamos, the pincushions, the sash tied across his forehead, and the sleeveless jerseys soiled with red | Image 537048

Adiós, Rafa We will miss the Vamos, the pincushions, the sash tied across his forehead, and the sleeveless jerseys soiled with red | Image 537047

If Nadal has entered the Olympus of tennis thanks to his achievements and longevity, the place he has forever carved out in the collective imagination and in the hearts of fans is due to what he has been able to convey on a human level. His legacy is different from that of a messenger of beauty like Federer, and from that of a tennis-cyborg like Djokovic. Nadal has been the embodiment of work ethic, perseverance, and humility: values often overused to describe great champions, but certainly not in Nadal’s case.

"Gracias Rafa," the tribute with which the ATP saluted, just moments after the announcement, one of its greatest representatives and ambassadors of all time. And while an infinite number of words would be needed to list the achievements the Spaniard has reached in the circuit, just a few - those of his iconic hashtag - were enough to capture his eternity: #RafaSiempre.