Retiring As One of the All-Time Tennis Greats, Nike Celebrates Rafael Nadal

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Retiring As One of the All-Time Tennis Greats, Nike Celebrates Rafael Nadal

• November 19, 2024
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What to know

• A Nike athlete since he was 13 years old, Rafael Nadal has won two Olympic gold medals and 22 Grand Slams, with a record 14 in Paris, forever crowning him as the King of Clay.
• In a streak of remarkable resilience, Rafa stood among the top 10 tennis players in the world for a record 17-plus consecutive years, including more than four total years as the world's No. 1.
• The iconic Raging Bull symbol from Rafa's Nike signature collection has long been synonymous with tennis greatness, and the Spaniard's hallmark passion, energy and resilience have inspired countless athletes and fans to fall in love with the game.
  

Nike athlete Rafael Nadal embodies what it means to give everything in the pursuit of greatness.

Through over 1,500 official matches, Rafa has built a legacy of resilience and fierce competition, teaching generations of tennis fans that greatness is born from sacrifice, fueled by endurance and sustained by an unbreakable will.

Today, as he competes in the final tournament of his professional career, Nike celebrates him as one of the game's all-time greats with a brand film narrated by Nike co-founder & Chairman Emeritus Phil Knight.

"Rafa has been the perfect representative for the brand," Knight says. "He's embodied our mentality to never give up and is maybe the most ferocious competitor that's ever lived."

Rafa's statistics speak for themselves: He's won two Olympic gold medals and 22 Grand Slams, with a record 14 in Paris, forever crowning him as the King of Clay.

The Spaniard has emerged victorious in nearly 1,100 singles matches over the course of his 23-year pro career, earning 92 titles, and has notched nearly 150 additional wins and 11 titles on the doubles circuit. A Nike athlete since he was 13 years old, his signature Raging Bull symbol has long been synonymous with tennis greatness. Further, he's worked closely with Nike product teams over the course of his career to create custom footwear and iconic apparel that reflect the evolution in his game and style.

"The thing I remember most about Rafa is the expression on his face when he'd get down - he'd twist his mouth and his eyes would narrow, and you would say to yourself, 'Oh, look out, he's put his game face on,'" Knight says. "You could always see that tenacity. When he hit a forehand, the ball changed shape, he'd hit it so hard. And no one was going to outlast him in a five-set match. He was always fun to watch, and he was never out of a match."

In a streak of remarkable resilience, Rafa stood among the top 10 tennis players in the world for a record 17-plus consecutive years, including more than four total years as the world's No. 1.

"Enduring means accepting," he says as he enters his final professional tournament. "Accepting things as they are and not as you would wish them to be, and then looking ahead, not behind."

Rafa's greatness reflects more than his longevity at the top of the game. For more than two decades, he's inspired tennis fans the world over with his hallmark passion, energy and resilience - inspiring countless athletes to pick up a racket for the first time.

He's also championed the Rafa Nadal Foundation, which helps youth reach their potential through the transformative power of sport, and the Rafa Nadal Academy, which combines high-performance education on the court and in the classrooms of the Rafa Nadal International School.