LONDON : When a teenaged Rafa Nadal bounced in to Roland Garros in pirate pants and sleeveless shirt in May 2005 before scything through the draw, few realised it marked the start of an unprecedented era of sporting domination.
FILE PHOTO: Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - October 11, 2020 Spain’s Rafael Nadal celebrates with the trophy after winning the French Open final against Serbia’s Novak Djokovic REUTERS/Christian Hartmann/File Photo
Only Novak Djokovic of a quartet that took tennis to unthinkable heights remains and with a men's record 24 Grand Slam titles to his name, the Serb's fans insist the statistics make him the greatest of all time. Only three players have beaten him at the French Open. Robin Soderling managed it in 2009 when Nadal was hampered by a knee injury and Djokovic twice beat him, in 2015 when Nadal was again struggling physically, and in 2021.
Nadal's swinging serve and clubbing backhand were also formidable parts of his armoury as was his explosive court-coverage while his fabled warrior spirit meant he played every point of his career as if his life depended on it. He adapted his game to suit the skiddy Wimbledon lawns, becoming the first Spaniard to win the title in more than 40 years when he beat Federer in an epic 2008 final, widely-regarded as one of the best matches of all time.
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