Rafael Nadal retires | “An unforgettable pleasure”, a chronicle of his 24 hours in Lima: what made the king of tennis so happy in November 2013? | SPORTS-TOTAL

Twenty minutes later he would appear with the black pen given by one of his assistants in his left hand, ready to execute with impeccable patience each of the hundreds of autographs that he would dedicate in his 24 hours in Lima. At the door of the airport landing area, where fifty fans had gathered, a delegation made up of representatives of the event organization, family and friends, was waiting for him in a hurry to drive him towards the white Hyundai minivan that would take him to the airport. Hilton hotel. Rafael Nadal He didn’t have time to be surprised on his way out. The heated screams, thrown with the force of a bull and with the same precise direction with which they are launched from the popular stands of football stadiums, pierced his soul. Rafa, accustomed to reacting at the speed of light on the tennis court, managed to smile while a wild crowd repeated Rafa! Rafa! Rafa! and a little boy, perhaps amateur, perhaps curious, shouted, absorbed: “Asuuuu, that hue is very high…”.

It is Saturday afternoon, November 16, 2013, and the Gulfstream G200 private jet has just landed on the main runway of Jorge Chávez International Airport. It is not very hot, the temperature averages 20 degrees and while almost twenty journalists, including reporters, photographers and cameramen, try to sneak through the nooks and crannies of the airport facilities to evade the security guards and attempt the most unprecedented and perfect of the 27-year-old Spanish tennis player in his first moments in Peru. Those who have been lucky enough to meet the recent Roland Garros champion in the flight arrival halls manage to take photos and some others record the evidence on video.

On YouTube, the first image of who on October 10, 2024 would announce his retirement after 92 titles and more than 1,000 victories, records his passage through the arch that marks the departure of international flights to the Jorge Chávez main pavilion. It is a 23 second video. Rafa appears there, with a green cap, dressed in blue shorts and a white and blue striped piqué polo shirt, walking well escorted by security personnel. At his side, an older woman accompanies him with a face that reveals how little or nothing she knows about who is next to her. The woman is completely unaware that she has coincided with the number 1 in the ATP world ranking and winner of ten Grand Slams at the time, the king of clay.

A Youtube Nadal in Lima

In the video you can see that the woman trips over Nadal’s suitcases and stops surprised by the entourage that accompanies the Spaniard. He gives way to them and then, surely, finds out from the news who the tall boy he had met upon his arrival was, telling the anecdote a thousand times for the rest of his life. Outside the airport the frenzy reached its maximum peak.

Determined to live with the fan’s indomitable appetite for a greeting, a signature or a photo, Nadal navigates the tumult like a fish in water. His gladiatorial bearing contrasts with a kind face and a noble, shy smile that seem to caress each of the fans who try to steal a detail from him. Nadal signs t-shirts, caps, posters and even a couple of balls. Take pictures with airport staff. Suddenly the entourage induces him to retreat and guides him towards the white minivan that is waiting for him.

Nadal, who has not lost his smile since landing, continues greetings from the window of the minivan, which quickens its pace to meet dinner time.

The Latin American tour

Nadal’s tour of Latin American territory began in Lima, with an exhibition match against his compatriot David Ferrer on Sunday, November 17. Then it would alternate between Argentina and Chile. Peru was the starting point of a raid dizzying full of events, promotions and exhibitions that raised alarms about the possible deterioration of his physical condition in a stretch of the season in which his schedule demanded rest.

After a brief rest in the executive suite of the Hilton hotel, Nadal was scheduled to sign autographs at a sports store in the Jockey Plaza shopping center. The agreed time was 7 at night. There, in front of the press, he would express his affection and his desire to live the experience in Lima to the fullest, surrounded by a lot of affection and grateful for the attention. “It has been a real pleasure, I have loved the experience, it has been an unforgettable day for me,” he would repeat after the exhibition match.

As expected, Nadal and Ferrer were surprised with the gift of the Peruvian national team jersey, the detail of which resided in the numbers with their names and the numbering according to their position in the ATP ranking. Thus, Nadal held a shirt with the number one and Ferrer, 31, the number three before the flashes that fired at will to eternalize the moment.

Sunday, game day (and more autographs)

The blush on his cheeks in the face of so much expression of affection from the Peruvians hid his fatigue resulting from the long trip, the jet lag resulting from the time difference, and his sleeping obligations. Rafa fulfilled his condition of knowing himself to be a superhero in Lima with impeccable diplomacy, but above all, with a naturalness typical of someone who feels loved.

Sunday, November 17 would start very early for Nadal. Replaced by the bright dawn of a city that was already wearing the first evidence of a soon summer, the also gold medalist at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, does not feel much like it. According to the newspapers of that day, the star of the 2009 hit ‘Gitana’ alongside Shakira had a light and balanced diet, very similar to his match days. Maybe he heard some music while he was traveling to the Regatas Lima Villa facilities, on the Panamericana Sur, for a sports clinic that was part of his agenda.

You by Julio Iglesias or but you by Alejandro Sanz, should have been on his setlist, in addition to Saturday Night Gave Me Sunday Morning, by Bon Jovi; and When You’re Goneby Bryan Adams. Upon his arrival at the venue, hundreds of fans were already waiting for him, both adults and children, privileged to see a master class in Spanish.

Then would come the exhibition match at the Jockey Club of Peru. On a stage for ten thousand spectators that ultimately did not have a full house on the day of the event due, perhaps, to the high price of tickets, which reached 1,600 soles per seat. It was a set in doubles, where Rafa paired with a very young Juan Pablo Varillas and then the underlying match, between Nadal and Ferrer, which dazzled and swept the more than 8,000 attendees into ecstasy.

Before and after the exhibition, Nadal had a black pen in his left hand instead of the racket, perhaps the object he used the most in his 24 hours in Lima. With him, there was his patience, his good humor and a smile that competed with the splendor of his game.