Rafael Nadal will undoubtedly go down as a legend of tennis, but he holds the 'human being' legacy closer to heart.
When Nadal, a teenage boy, lifted his first Roland Garros trophy in 2005, the world knew that a superstar had been born. Few probably realized that a legend had also been born, but it was clear that he was special fairly early in his career.
Fast-forward almost twenty years, and Nadal has 14 Roland Garros trophies to his name, with a sliver of hope to make it 15 at this year's event. Standing between him and that trophy are several players, the first one being Alexander Zverev.
Furthering his legacy at this year's event is the goal, but it's not the one he cherishes most. On a personal level, Nadal feels a lot of satisfaction about leaving a very positive legacy as a human being.
Eternally humble, the 37-year-old was able to touch the hearts of many people around the world, and that's what he holds dear to his heart. The trophies and records are amazing, but the impact on people is what means the most to him.
"No, I just can say thanks. I saw some things, I just can say thanks to all the love I received from all the players, from the organizers, from the tournaments, from all the community of tennis and sport, no?"
"I feel very proud that probably I leave a positive legacy there. Not only about tennis. Probably about as a human being, no? So that's more important than any result at the end of the day, because the results are there, you know. That's it."
The love Nadal receives around the world from tennis fans of all walks of life pales only in comparison to Roger Federer. Still, very few enjoy as much global popularity as the Swiss Maestro has. For Nadal, it's more than enough, though, and it makes him very proud.
"The rest of the things, in some way it's something that makes me feel proud that I am going to the places and the people are happy to see me, no?"
"I mean, you can, in some way, you can fake the crowd, you can fake the people who don't know you in a daily basis, you can create an image there, but you can't create an image with all the people that are working on a daily basis on the ATP Tour, on Roland Garros, on Rome, on Madrid, you know, on every day, people who really know who you are and who you are realistically, not like tennis player, no, like a human person."
"So I feel very proud and happy I am going to the places I feel the love of all the people who are involved, the tournaments behind the scenes. That's great. I don't feel that I am the player that, okay, I don't want to see him another time, no. I feel that the people who are working on the tournaments feel happy to watch me again. That's something that I enjoy.”"
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