The End of an Era: Rafael Nadal’s Emotional Farewell at Barcelona Open

The tournament at the Real Club de Tennis Barcelona 1899 had just begun. But the center court, known here as Pista Rafa Nadal, was full except for the stairs. The ivy on the pillars, the elegant upper town houses in the background, the Colserola mountains behind them: everything Nadal has known for so long.

He came here for the first time when he was eleven. Nadal soon became a member of the club, which became a base on the mainland when he left his home island of Mallorca. Here he met trusted people and tennis greats, and here he trained several times. “It’s the club I saw growing up,” as he once said, and that’s what makes his appearance at the Barcelona Open so emotional: “You all know how important the competition for me ever.”

His parents, his younger sister, his wife and their little son are sitting in the stands. The first match against the Italian Flavio Cobolli was announced. Is it really coming? Nadal, now 37, has only played one tournament in the past 15 months. He also had to cancel the previous week in Monte Carlo and until recently was not even able to play. A farewell tour. He wanted to play at home again, “I’ll take it as my last time.” Purple sweater, orange sweatbands: Yes, it’s really coming.

It was destined to fail

A brilliant career is coming to an end – the greatest Spain has ever seen in sport. 22 Grand Slam titles, 14 at the Paris Ashes alone. Nadal always overcame all odds, and that became a legend. At first it was thought that his knees would not be able to withstand his strong style of play for a long time. Then he was dismissed as a clay court specialist until he defeated his great and beloved rival Roger Federer in the mother of the Wimbledon finals in 2008, 9-7 in the last set, it was almost dark.

As a result: injury and pain, but always impressive to come back. “Tennis is not the problem, it never was,” Nadal says now. The problem was and is the body. Will he let him have one last dance?

Struggling between rallies, his distinct pull on his pants, a nervous start. When the opponent comes back out at 1-1, he will have his first “Vamos”, but quieter than before, almost shy. Nadal plays “with the handbrake on”, more with his head than with strength, more stop balls than forehand whips. It was only in the second set that one of his famous defensive backlashes occurred. Nadal turned to the audience with a clenched fist; the attitude of the matador that defines the place and the opponent. The fans are drumming on the tubular steel stands, doing it as carefully as they can here.

The Royal Club has little to do with today’s Masters 1000 series events such as the one in Madrid, the next stop on the calendar. Here the playgrounds are still surrounded by hedges, the gravel jumps underfoot. “It’s one of the few places on the tour where you can really breathe in tennis,” Nadal once said.

Long hair, off the shoulder shirts, pirate pants

And as much as he was considered a break from tradition at the beginning of his career with long hair, off-the-shoulder shirts and pirate pants, now, at the end of his career, his role as ambassador for Saudi Arabia to worry. – the home game awakens his romantic side. “Obviously there’s Madrid now, but historically this was Spain’s premier tournament,” he says. “Here we play in a real tennis club that has a daily life, which makes it completely different from the rest. ” The club is celebrating 125 years of existence and the competition is celebrating its 71st edition. In fact he is a record champion with twelve titles.

Now he has treated Cobolli, delighted the fans, signed hundreds of autographs, made his way through the narrow corridors of the facility to the small press room next to the changing rooms , which is a fitness room in the normal life of the club. Nadal’s eyes are soft, his voice calm, as if he just sees himself here again as a young man. “Muchiiiisimos años,” so many years have passed, it takes the word much longer.

Although his English seems rather harsh, he can sound very emotional in Spanish or Catalan. Also in sports analysis. “Maybe this is not the week to push as hard as my heart wants,” he announces. The angry competitor has to “play logically,” as he calls it. “And it’s emotionally difficult to play logically in such a special place. “

How difficult it will be revealed the next day. He became gray and cool overnight, and was eliminated in two sets against world number 11 Alex de Minaur. “What had to happen happened,” he says. Rationally speaking, he sees his goal for Barcelona as achieved, he played again and was not injured again, now he wants to further test his body in Madrid and Rome, continues to play logically to give himself a chance to do something. can happen in Paris what God wants to do.” Roland Garros, the place for a unique coronation, the stadium of his apotheosis.

He leaves the place where many things began as gently as possible. “You know me, I always try to see everything in perspective,” he says. “Everything has a beginning and an end, it’s not drama. But of course I’m a little bit sadder because I might not be able to play this tournament anymore.”

This tournament, every tournament. Rafael Nadal is gone. Not as a member, not as a person, and certainly not as a legend. But as a tennis professional.

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