Andy Roddick paid special tribute to the ‘influential’ Rafael Nadal following his retirement from tennis at the Davis Cup Finals.
Andy Roddick, Rafael Nadal (Images via Imago)
After Rafael Nadal’s career came to an end on Tuesday (November 19), several sports legends and athletes paid tribute to him. American legend Andy Roddick joined in, lauding the Spaniard for his impact as a tennis player and for inspiring millions of budding talents all over the world.
Nadal’s influence among tennis players has been phenomenal, with several stars, including Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek, often crediting him for inspiring them. The 38-year-old’s illustrious career came to an end after losing to Netherlands’ Botic van de Zandschulp at the Davis Cup Finals.
Spain eventually lost the best-of-three series tie to the Netherlands 1-2 to exit the tournament. Nadal then received an emotional farewell tribute from the Davis Cup and the tennis governing body. He also gave a heartwarming speech to his faithful supporters while naming some of his biggest accomplishments on the court.
Roddick spoke about his respect for Nadal on his ‘Served with Andy Roddick’ podcast. The 2003 US Open champion asserted that although Nadal’s style of play was tough, it became the best plan for thousands of teens dreaming of becoming champions in the future.
There are things that us normies can never replicate. I will never, in my life, go out and hit a ball and create a spinning mechanism. Even just for fun, I can’t go out and just do it. Like, it’s such an otherworldly talent, but you tell a seven-year-old, ‘Watch this guy, watch his temperament, watch the way he gets back.’ Like simultaneously, I’ve never seen someone who is entirely relatable and completely unrelatable in the best ways.
Andy Roddick said
Nadal’s loss to Van de Zandschulp was his second singles defeat at the Davis Cup Finals. He won 29 of his 31 matches in the event and clinched the title on five occasions: 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011, and 2019.
Jon Wertheim reveals Rafael Nadal’s impact is yet to be fully understood
Rafael Nadal will surely be missed on the court because of his resilient character and his kindness off the court. In the aforementioned podcast, renowned journalist Jon Wertheim revealed that Nadal had a unique character and approach to tennis.
He added that the tennis world was yet to fully understand the Spaniard’s impact and influence. Wertheim also sympathized with Nadal’s large fanbase and how much they will miss him.
His tennis values his decency, his modesty, his approach that’s the kind of thing that millions of players [don’t have]. I don’t think we’ve sensed the full sweep of his impact yet. I think the thing that causes emotion, a sense of loss, a loss of ‘you’re not going to be able to be an active fan of this person and watch them and participate’ is Rafa’s decency.
Jon Wertheim said
Nadal ended his career having won 92 career titles, the fourth highest since the Open Era, just after Jimmy Connors, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic. He remains the greatest clay court player in history winning 47 Big titles on the surface.
