Iga Swiatek grew up idolizing Rafael Nadal, and she cried after seeing the type of farewell he got at the Madrid Open.
Not long ago, Nadal was spectacularly honored at the Madrid Open. It was the last time the Spaniard played at the event om the Spanish capital, which he had won several times.
Swiatek won it recently for the first time, and it was just a very emotional experience for her. Not only did she see Nadal get honored in a fantastic way, but she also realized that, slowly but surely, his time in tennis was coming to an end.
For someone who hasn't known tennis without Nadal, it's quite tough, especially since the Spaniard is her idol. In a talk with the Tennis Channel at the 2024 Italian Open, she explained how she felt watching the ceremony.
"Well, I have mixed emotions, obviously, because I'm still pretty young, so it's hard for me to understand what's his exact situation. I watched the whole ceremony in Madrid and I cried obviously but he seems happy and that's the most important thing."
One thing that Swiatek is impressed with is how Nadal is dealing with the looming retirement. The Spaniard has been quite calm during the whole process, which is impressive.
As Swiatek said he is happy and content with where he is, and it likely comes from him being simply content with what he's achieved so far in his career.
"I think his approach is really smart and I think it's a good example of an athlete who is satisfied with what he achieved and he's okay with starting another chapter in his life."
That's certainly something Swiatek would like to emulate many years down the line. She's still young enough not to have to worry about it anytime soon.
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