Always demanding and often restrained when discussing Rafael Nadal‘s career, Toni Nadal, a few days after the announcement of his nephew’s retirement, decided to speak out as rarely during a long and magnificent letter shared on his Instagram account.
The most famous uncle in tennis and certainly in sport particularly wanted to evoke the exceptional perseverance of the man at the 14 Roland‐Garros.
“For the last two years, he simply continued to give himself every chance, more by faith than by reasoning, and finally, he only agreed to face the facts when he realized that his body was no longer able to cope with the situation. Today I can say with certainty that Rafael kept the promise he made to me a few years ago during a conversation we had in a section of a club. I told him that a well-known former tennis player had confided to me his dissatisfaction with his tennis career. With remarkable sincerity, he complained, not of not having won more titles, but of his lack of perseverance. Out of fear, I urged my nephew not to fall into this mistake and, with more determination than I expected, Rafael replied: ‘Don’t worry, Toni, when I leave. here it will be with the peace of mind of having tried everything. When I leave here, I will have the peace of mind that I have tried everything.’ »
Published on Thursday October 24, 2024 at 5:37 p.m.
