At the 2021 Washington Open, I was lucky enough to watch Rafael Nadal practice—just weeks before he suffered an injury that forced him to withdraw from the tournament.
Nadal’s career is legendary: 22 Grand Slam men’s singles titles, including a record 14 French Opens; 92 ATP-level singles titles, among them 36 Masters 1000 crowns and an Olympic gold medal—with 63 total titles won on clay. After a final appearance for Spain in the 2024 Davis Cup Finals, Nadal officially retired on November 19, 2024.
Watching him then, I didn’t realize I was glimpsing the end of an era—not just a great player, but one of tennis’s most profound champions.
