For lack of interesting sports stories last week, this column wrote about candidates for the midterm elections. No need to wait for the finals. There isn’t any. Democracy empowers the people to replace the incumbent on regular interval, until they perfect their choice or bastardize their wisdom.
Then the announcement everyone saw coming but wished didn’t. The king of clay calls it a career after the Davis Cup. And what a career it was. No need to itemize his records and titles though. No need for big words either, they end up small next to the exponential. The name Rafael Nadal speaks monumental. Only the lesser known advertise, then unwittingly affirm their mediocrity. The world’s priciest cars do not make themselves known through any platform. Their market knows exactly what and where they are, without asking how much.
These are people who do not advertise their possessions either, unlike financial mortals who flaunt their new properties and signature brands. Big deal to the nouveau riche, ordinary to the filthy rich. Flaunting is a personal choice though. Beyond argument. It is not about reason, it is about celebration.
Just as the clay icon chose to retire at a time when he is losing and his body aching. None of it ruins what he is best known for. Never-say-die fighting spirit, tenacity and chivalry in his court demeanor. A raging bull, he played a brutal game with the gentlest restraint, never broke a racket out of frustration.
Or anger, obeying the advice of his tennis and life coach uncle, that elsewhere in the world a kid dreams of the racket abused by tantrums. Senseless waste. And insensitive. Just as the rich and the looking rich splurge on luxury and convenience while the pope flies economy. It’s their money, all right, inherited, hard earned or stolen. But Mother Teresa lived poverty so others may live. Unlike many who enrich themselves serving the hungry.
But yes, Rafa did break many, the hearts of his fans, each time he loses and the soul of his enemies, each time he beats them, especially co-equals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. Now he leaves and breaks the entire sport of tennis, and probably all of sports. It will never be the same again. Carlos Alcaraz is not even close.
The world of tennis may no longer see how a player celebrates a hard fought point like it was the last. Vamos! It never sounded that good. And sweet, especially with his dripping sweat. Passionate to many, cocky to others. Regardless, no one argues against success, especially where he played it clean, with nary a dirty strategy, did not test positive for negative substances either.
He raised the level of tennis, not only on clay but on all surface, including Olympic tennis. And now his body has given up. Time to move on, and raise his family minus the fame but with all his fortune in a place called home.