Rafa Nadal will never forget a special and different 2020 for various reasons, which has marked him both in the sporting and personal aspects. Inevitably conditioned by the terrible coronavirus pandemic that still has the whole world in suspense. Also to the Balearic, who suffered emotionally because of what was happening. But as a professional that he is, he tried to separate the two facets, he coped with the sadness and succeeded. For this reason, and for many other things, this newspaper will recognize Thursday with a new AS Sports Award the category and the great achievements of Nadal as a tennis player and as an exemplary person.
After being without playing for almost seven months between the confinement that set the tennis circuit apart and the subsequent and logical precaution, Rafa, who had finished February with the title in Acapulco, did not attend the American tour and reappeared in Rome, just in time to prepare the best possible Roland Garros.
More Grand Slam titles
| Player | Titles | |
| 1. | Rafael Nadal | twenty |
| -. | Roger Federer (Sui) | twenty |
| 3. | Novak Djokovic (Ser) | 17 |
| Four. | Pete Sampras (USA) | 14 |
| 5. | Bjorn Borg (Sue) | eleven |
| 6. | Ivan Lendl (RCh-USA) | 8 |
| -. | Jimmy Connors (USA) | 8 |
| -. | Andre Agassi (USA) | 8 |
| 9. | John McEnroe (USA) | 7 |
| -. | Mats Wilander (Sue) | 7 |
At the French Grand Slam he encountered unusual cold and humid conditions that did not benefit him and for the first time he played at night and under cover on the Philippe Chatrier court, who had seen him triumph so many times. And he did it again. He overcame all difficulties and won the tournament for the 13th time without losing a set and after beating world number one Novak Djokovic in the final. This equaled Roger Federer's legendary ATP record of 20 majors solo titles, and fueled the debate about who is the best player ever. “The Nadal thing in Paris is the greatest achievement in the history of sport,” said Paul Annacone, a former coach of Sampras, Henman or Federer himself. For the extenista Boris Becker, the Swiss is still ahead, although narrowly (85-84) by virtue of a series of scores on different qualities.
“It's debatable. The figures have to be analyzed by people who know that tennis history well. And honestly, it doesn't matter much to me either. I'm happy with my career. It is clear that, today, I am one of the two best. But we'll see what happens to Novak, what happens to Roger when he returns, what continues to happen to me… Hopefully, if all goes well we will have time to analyze it when our careers finish. Then, with all the data, a clear verdict can be made, “explained Rafa. in an extensive interview with AS and three other Spanish media after lifting the Musketeers Cup once again. “The options are still being created and when you are there you have to see what can happen. But it does not take away my sleep, “he had said just before the season break about that crucial achievement in the race for historical tennis supremacy that he maintains with Federer and Djokovic.” A rivalry was generated that has gone far beyond the tennis world. We value and appreciate it in a special way. To tie with Roger at 20 means a lot, it is an honor and something beautiful, “he acknowledged months later.
The fact is that the fight, if COVID-19 allows it, will continue early next year at the Australian Open., where the Helvetian will reappear after a long break, in his case due to his battered right knee on which he was operated twice. Djokovic, who won his last major precisely in Melbourne last January, will continue to lurk with 17 trophies. And the Serbian is not one of those who hides his anxiety to be, in the long run, the greatest. Now, due to the accumulated merits, it is Federer and Nadal who are centering this discussion. Even companions like the wayward KyrgiosOne of the few who does not feel much sympathy for the Spanish, he recognizes his greatness: “I think we are not going to see anything the same in sport as what Rafa achieved in Paris”. Although he thinks that the Swiss is “the most dominant of all time” and compares him with Michael Jordan. Rublev, leader in titles (5) and victories (41) in 2020, also surrendered to Manacor, who passed him in the ATP Masters, and He went further by not just sticking to tennis and saying that “he is the best athlete in history.”
Oblivious to these surveys, Nadal is already preparing for 2021 with four Grand Slams, Olympic Games, Davis Cup and Masters that he considers “important” and in which, as almost always, he aspires to everything.
More than 14 million for the Red Cross Responde project
Nadal's other great success in this course has to do with solidarity. It was the #NuestraMejorVictoria campaign, which he launched together with Pau Gasol to stimulate the collaboration of sport with the Red Cross Respond project, an initiative that has already helped almost three million people in vulnerable situations in the face of the devastation of the COVID- 19 in different areas: relief, health, social inclusion, employment, education and the environment. They started it in March and in June the collection target had already been exceeded, 11 million euros, with a sum of more than 14 in collaborations, which were joined by the world of culture (A3 Media, Los Secretos, Vanesa Martín, Rosana …).
AS echoed this enormous charity work and joined forces with the other three main Spanish sports newspapers (Marca, Sport and Mundo Deportivo) to publish a joint cover of the initiative.
Nadal and Gasol chose Red Cross Responds because it was a “very complete” plan to unite wills and with the ability to “reach more people.” Citizens, administrations and companies are the pillars of a purpose that has raised 70 million. Surrounded by so much misfortune, I had no energy to do things. From then on, one day I talked to my team and said: we have to do something, ”Nadal explained. That's how it all started and the momentum continues.