Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Humility personified – Rafa Nadal

When Nadal said, “You are one of the greatest players of all time,” to Roger Federer at the Australian Open presentation ceremony, even I had tears in my eyes. The victory at the inaugural Grand Slam of the year was a confirmation that Nadal has that edge against Federer. Nadal has now beaten Federer five straight times and that is a huge achievement. In terms of stats, Nadal is 13-6 against his great rival and he is now more than 3,000 points ahead of Federer in the ATP world rankings but the humility that Rafa continues to show puts him at a different pedestal in my eyes.
The Spaniard continues to show utmost respect to his great rival. Speaking to the media at the ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam, Rafa said, “When one player has won 13 Grand Slams, 14 Masters Series and for four years has been the No. 1 of the world, an incredible record, then there is no discussion who is the best.” Incredible Humility!
I hope that many players from India across disciplines will learn from the way Rafa has carried himself. Salute from Sports Mole.