Rafael Nadal, the undisputed king of clay, won the first title of his career in 2004 on that same surface. It was the only one he got that season. He ended the year as number 51 in the world at the age of 18 and the tennis world spoke of him as a promise, especially after beating Roger FedererNo. 1, in Miami that same year.
Its growth in 2005 was meteoric. He lifted 11 trophies, including his first Grand Slam and four Masters 1000s – two on clay and two on hard courts – to climb to second place in the world ranking. It was already a reality. And one of those who suffered the most during that period was Guillermo Coria, whom he beat in the Monte Carlo final and in a marathon definition in Rome who turns 19 this Wednesday.
Coria, 23 years old and current runner-up at Roland Garros at the time, was one of the best players in the world on clay, despite the fact that at times he showed emotional fragility, and it was a highly complex test that Nadal overcame with You grow to begin your own Era. He won in the Italian capital for 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 4-6 and 7-6 (6) in 5 hours and 14 minutes in which it was the fourth longest match of the 1,297 that he played so far throughout his glorious career.
“The best memory is the first. “I miss playing the Masters 1000 best of five sets and that’s why I have great memories of the finals against Coria and Federer,” said the Mallorcan, now 37 years old and going through his last tournaments as a professional, in the press conference prior to his debut at the Foro Italico.
Nadal debuted in Rome in 2005 and was champion. Photo: AP / Ferdinando Mezzelani
There was another Argentine who suffered from Nadal’s rapid rise to the forefront of tennis: Mariano Puerta, his first opponent in a Grand Slam final. They saw each other’s faces Roland Garros 2005, Rafa’s debut season in Paris, and the victory was in four sets for the teenager with shoulder-length hair, a sleeveless shirt and capri pants, the look distinctive of its beginnings. Thus he became the youngest champion (19 years and three days) in the Bois de Boulogne since Michael Chang (17 years and 110 days) in 1989. Unforgettable.
And if these are facts that remain indelible despite the passage of time, it is especially remembered that he received the trophy from the hands of an already established sports legend: Zinedine Zidane. The French footballer, world champion with the French national team in 1998, was going through the last moments of his career as a footballer for Real Madrid, a club of which the Manacorí is a fan.
Complicit smiles between Zinedine Zidane and Rafa Nadal. Photo: AFP/Christophe Simon
Proof of his enormous validity is that, twenty years after his first time, he will debut in Rome, where he holds the record of 10 titles, against the Belgian Zizou Bergs: “Zizou”, like Zidane’s nickname, a name he owes to his parents’ fanaticism for the legendary French footballer. Two weeks ago he reached 103rd place in the world ranking, his highest ranking – today he is 108th -, and he is enjoying the best moment of his career after really difficult times for him.
Without playing between March and October 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and, consequently, without income, he was outside the Top 500 and dedicated himself to distributing the masks that his mother made by bicycle. He also worked at that time at LINDL, a food distribution chain, while trying his hand at tennis. Today his reality is different.
Bergs, who will turn 25 on the same June 3 that Nadal will celebrate his 38th, surpassed the qualy after beating the American Patrick Kypson (150th) and the Chinese Juncheng Shang (105th).
Rafa is going for his third tournament in a row
Nadal, today 305th in the world, went from injury to injury throughout his career and is seeking to recover after 2023 in which he played just four matches to say goodbye to tennis in his law, fighting on a court.
“I spent several days at home resting after playing in Madrid, I came to Rome and was able to train. I am excited to play here, where I have unforgettable moments. It’s my third tournament in a row and that’s good news. “I have to continue seeing it day by day, but I’m happy with how I feel.”he declared at a press conference.
He comes from reaching the round of 16 at the Madrid Masters 1000, where won three consecutive matches for the first time since the 2022 US Open and beat a Top 20 -Alex De Minaur, 11th in the world- for the first time since he did so against Casper Ruud (4th) in the ATP Finals of that same 2022. They are signs that the road to recovery is underway, beyond the fact that the fragility of his physique is a constant threat.
“I’m enjoying playing. I’m happy doing what I do. When I talk about retiring it’s not because I’m no longer happy playing tennis or I don’t feel competitive enough, but it’s about the body was not capable of playing for weeks in a row“I wasn’t able to allow myself to train and enjoy training on a day-to-day basis,” he added.
“My evolution is not the same every day. I had some difficult moments after Barcelona and also here on the first day, but on a general level the line is upward. Without a doubt. I am happy to be where I am today because A month ago it was almost impossible for me to think that I could play in Barcelonathen in Madrid and now being here in Rome,” he commented.
Nadal and the tennis business
At the press conference Nadal reflected on the absences of Jannik Sinner y Carlos Alcaraz, affected by different injuries. There are two weight losses for the tournament, the number 2 and 3 in the world. “I understand that for you (the Italians) It is terrible news that Jannik does not play here, especially because of how he is playing this year, but injuries are always there. That’s the truth,” Rafa began by saying.
Image of one of Nadal’s first training sessions ahead of the M1000 in Rome 2024. Photo: EFE/ Fabio Frustaci
“If we want to talk about why players get injured, I say it very clearly: When your body goes to the limit, there are injuries. Tennis is getting faster and faster and leads to injuries. When you play most of the year on fast courts and the surfaces are increasingly harder on the body, injuries come. That’s the simple answer,” he added.
“Then there is the other world, that of tournaments, the business. That’s another topic. In the end, players want to make money, tournaments want to make money… we accept that role,” he noted.
“I missed many important tournaments, very important in my career due to injuries. As a player there can be no complaints, we accept what happens and move forward,” he summarized. “I wish them both all the best and I look forward to meeting them at Roland Garros,” she closed.