Valérie Tétreault has often witnessed the exploits of Rafael Nadal on the tennis courts and she has always been dazzled by his passion, his intensity and his determination. But thanks to her duties at Tennis Canada, she also had the opportunity to discover a man of great kindness, regardless of the circumstances.
In a little over a month, after Spain’s last match at the Davis Cup Finals, which will also be held in his native country, Nadal will put away his racket for good. He made the announcement on social media on Thursday.
It will then be the end of a career that is not only glorious, notably marked by 22 titles in Grand Slam tournaments, but also incomparable, because of his fighting style that he brought with him on the courts, match after match during more than two decades. A style which has also led to several absences from the courts due to injuries, especially in the last two years.
Tétreault believes Nadal practiced tennis in a way rarely seen before his arrival on the men’s professional tennis scene.
I remember a Michael Chang, when I was very young, who was intense, who often had tough battles, who was really physical. But I think Nadal took it to another level.
Valérie Tétreault
“Not only because he was able to hold on physically, but it was also his mental abilities that were impressive. When it was big matches, when it was important points, he was even able to raise his level of play. I think it was unique. »
Now director of the National Bank Open after directing tournament communications for several years, Tétreault admits to feeling privileged to have been able to rub shoulders with Nadal behind the stage, which allowed her to witness moments that she will never forget.
PHOTO OLIVIER JEAN, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Rafael Nadal
“It’s probably the thing that touches me the most when I talk about Rafael Nadal because, honestly, it was quite incredible to see his kindness, his generosity, his simplicity too. Nadal is the kind of person you talk to and no matter who he talks to, you feel like he’s listening to you. And he even returns questions to you because he has an interest in others too,” she first described.
“I often tell the story, when he lost to Denis Shapovalov (in Montreal in 2017) and he found himself in the press conference room. But despite, at that moment, his immense disappointment and his great frustration, we saw Nadal who, after the press conference, took the time to thank the people involved with the tournament for the days he had spent at Montreal. Honestly, I don’t know many players who take the time to do that. Everywhere he went, he shook hands with volunteers, always with a big smile. »
Tétreault considers that Nadal was an inspiration to a multitude of young tennis players through the way he gave himself on the court and his behavior in general.
“It was always inspiring to see him go because if there was anything we were sure of when we opened our TV and watched a Rafael Nadal match, it was that it was going to be intense, that ‘a show would be given. We were going to see extraordinary determination and courage. “We were going to see something exceptional,” she described.
“I think there are a lot of young tennis players and not so young ones too who have been inspired by Rafael Nadal. If only by his performances but also by the human qualities that we saw in him off the field. It meant that people’s interest in tennis, the love of certain people for tennis, a large part of it was directly linked to what Rafael Nadal brought to our sport. »
And as she also pointed out, Nadal’s rivals clearly perceived his remarkable intensity.
“There aren’t many players like that who, game after game, no matter who they were playing against, no matter where they were playing, were able to always come out with that same intensity. By himself, precisely because he brought so much intensity to the field, he also ensured that the other players had to raise their level of play,” noted Tétreault.
“When Nadal was in his best years, you had the impression that the other players came on the court and were already losing a set to zero, because in their heads, they knew that physically and mentally, it was going to be very, very hard . That they were going to suffer in the next hour or two. »
Synonym of resilience
Montrealer Félix Auger-Aliassime also paid tribute to Nadal’s career in a message published on his Instagram account on Thursday.
“When I think of an athlete who truly embodies resilience in every sense of the word, “Rafa” comes to mind. He led his career with humility and passion from start to finish while achieving some of the most impressive feats in the history of the sport,” said Auger-Aliassime, who won one of his three career duels against the Spaniard and who had stolen two sets from Nadal in the round of 16 of the French Open, on May 29, 2022.
“All great things are precious because they don’t last forever. However, [Nadal] succeeded in realizing the greatest dream of every athlete, leaving behind an infinite legacy that will teach and inspire several generations to come,” added Auger-Aliassime