Mats wilander rafael nadal biography
Rafael Nadal 'maybe the most important tennis player of all time' says Mats Wilander after Australian Open withdrawal
Eurosport expert Mats Wilander believes Rafael Nadal is not only one of the game’s all-time greats but he also described the Spaniard as “maybe the most important tennis player of all time".
Nadal was part of one of the most heralded eras of any sport as he, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic took tennis to new heights.
Their rivalry has seen them share 66 Grand Slams between them and counting, but time waits for no-one.
Federer has already retired after he was unable to recover from a freak knee injury sustained away from the court, while Nadal’s list of physical ailments throughout his career is long and has been well documented.
The 37-year-old missed the majority of 2023 due to a hip flexor issue that required surgery, before announcing he would be fit to return for this year’s Australian Open.
However, he was forced to withdraw after suffering a small tear on a muscle during his third-round defeat to Jordan Thompson at the Brisbane International.
It sparked fresh concerns that we may have seen the last of Nadal - who admitted that 2024 could be his last year on tour - as an athlete who is able to compete at the highest level over five sets for the duration of the sport’s marquee events.
'One of the toughest years of my career' - Nadal thankful to finally be back competing
Video credit: Eurosport
But whatever happens, Wilander hopes the 37-year-old gets to walk away on his own terms like the legends before him that have already hung up their racquets.
“We want him to be able to say farewell, of course. I'm not really sure what that farewell is supposed to look like,” Wilander said.
“Obviously, we had maybe one of the greatest farewells ever with Roger Federer at the Laver Cup in the O2 Arena. It wasn't unexpected that he was eventually going to say farewell but it wasn&#
Mats Wilander
Swedish tennis player
Wilander in the Eurosport studio during the 2014 Australian Open at Melbourne Park | |
| Country (sports) | Sweden |
|---|---|
| Residence | Hailey, Idaho, U.S. |
| Born | (1964-08-22) 22 August 1964 (age 60) Växjö, Sweden |
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) |
| Turned pro | 1979 |
| Retired | 1996 |
| Plays | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) |
| Coach | John-Anders Sjögren |
| Prize money | US$7,976,256 |
| Int. Tennis HoF | 2002 (member page) |
| Career record | 571–222 (72%) |
| Career titles | 33 |
| Highest ranking | No. 1 (12 September 1988) |
| Australian Open | W (1983, 1984, 1988) |
| French Open | W (1982, 1985, 1988) |
| Wimbledon | QF (1987, 1988, 1989) |
| US Open | W (1988) |
| Tour Finals | F (1987) |
| WCT Finals | QF (1985, 1987, 1989) |
| Career record | 168–127 |
| Career titles | 7 |
| Highest ranking | No. 3 (21 October 1985) |
| Australian Open | F (1984) |
| French Open | SF (1985) |
| Wimbledon | W (1986) |
| US Open | F (1986) |
| Tour Finals | F (1985) |
| Davis Cup | W (1984, 1985, 1987) |
Mats Arne Olof Wilander (Swedish pronunciation:[ˈmatsvɪˈlǎnːdɛr]; born 22 August 1964) is a Swedish former professional tennis player. He was ranked as the world No. 1 in men's singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for 20 weeks, including as the year-end No. 1 in 1988. Wilander won 33 career singles titles, including seven majors (three each at the French Open and Australian Open, and one at the US Open), and seven career doubles titles, including a major in men's doubles at Wimbledon.
Wilander's breakthrough came suddenly and unexpectedly when he won the 1982 French Open at the age of 17. Wilander won his fourth major singles title at the age of 20, the youngest man in history to have achieved the feat. In 1988, he won three of the four singles majors to finish the year ranked as the world No. 1 Spanish tennis player (born 1986) "Nadal" redirects here. For other people, see Nadal (surname). Nadal in 2024 Rafael Nadal Parera (born 3 June 1986) is a Spanish former professional tennis player. He was ranked as the world No. 1 in men's singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for 209 weeks, and finished as the year-end No. 1 five times. Nadal won 92 ATP Tour-level singles titles, including 22 major titles (among which a record 14 French Open titles), as well as 36 Masters titles and an Olympic gold medal. Nadal is one of three men to complete the career Golden Slam in singles. His 81 consecutive wins on clay constitute the longest single-surface win streak in the Open Era. For nearly two decades, Nadal was a leading figure in m Mats Wilander proclaimed that Rafael Nadal “overachieved more than anybody” in tennis as he lauded the Spanish legend following his retirement announcement. The former world No 1 stressed that Nadal is “unbelievably talented”, but argued his great rival Roger Federer was more gifted “in terms of technique.” Nadal revealed on Thursday he will call time on his glittering career after competing for Spain at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals in Malaga next month. In a video shared on his social media accounts, Nadal said: “Hello everyone, I’m here to let you know that I am retiring from professional tennis. “The reality is that it has been some difficult years, these last two years especially. I don’t think I have been able to play without limitations. It is obviously a difficult decision, one that has taken me some time to make. “But in this life, everything has a beginning and an end. And I think it’s the appropriate time to put an end to a career that has been long and much more successful than I could have ever imagined.” Rafael Nadal retirement leaves Boris Becker in tears as tennis icon delivers emotional tribute Rafael Nadal retirement: Sensational records from tennis great from his French Open trophies to his rankings milestone Wilander admitted he could not believe the “nightmare” news at first, but recognised the Davis Cup will be a fitting farewell event for Nadal. “My first reaction to Rafa announcing that is that I’m still asleep,” the Swede told Eurosport. “Waking up to that is obviously a nightmare for all of us that love tennis. But we’ve been waiting and expecting it to happen. It was just a matter of when it was going to happen. “I guess the Davis Cup is so close to Rafa’s heart, so close to most of our hearts. There& Rafael Nadal
Full name Rafael Nadal Parera Country (sports) Spain Residence Manacor, Mallorca, Spain Born (1986-06-03) 3 June 1986 (age 38)
Manacor, Mallorca, SpainHeight 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) Turned pro 2001 Retired 19 November 2024 Plays Left-handed (two-handed backhand) Prize money US $134,946,100 Official website rafaelnadal.com Career record 1080–228 Career titles 92 (5th in the Open Era) Highest ranking No. 1 (18 August 2008) Australian Open W (2009, 2022) French Open W (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022) Wimbledon W (2008, 2010) US Open W (2010, 2013, 2017, 2019) Tour Finals F (2010, 2013) Olympic Games W (2008) Career record 142–77 Career titles 11 Highest ranking No. 26 (8 August 2005) Australian Open 3R (2004, 2005) Wimbledon 2R (2005) US Open SF (2004) Olympic Games W (2016) Davis Cup W (2004, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2019) ‘Rafael Nadal overachieved more than anybody’, claims tennis legend in Roger Federer comparison
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