"This is probably his biggest legacy": Alex Corretja highlights what makes Rafael Nadal's career impossible to match

Former Spanish player Alex Corretja believes that no player will be able to overcome some of the achievements of the former world number one Rafael Nadal. The 38-year-old is often regarded as one of the greatest player in the history of men’s tennis in the singles category.

Nadal has struggled with fitness concerns, especially towards the later stages of his career. It was because of this that he missed nearly the whole of the 2023 season. The former world number one returned to the court earlier this year but his fitness remains a big obstacle. He struggled in nearly every match he played. Recently, Nadal announced that he will retire from professional tennis after the upcoming Davis Cup final round. He will be representing his country, Spain, in the contest against the Netherlands in the quarterfinal round, which will be played in Malaga from the 19th of November.

Former Spanish player Corretja recently spoke to Eurosport, revealing that people are waiting to see the legendary tennis star once again in action for the final time. He stated that the excitement around the competition tells him that it will be like a ‘big party’.

"I think it's going to be very emotional," he said. "We've been following Rafa, dreaming with Rafa. He's not going to be playing anymore, so it's going to be difficult. I'm receiving so many messages from followers and from people who tell me that they can't believe it's going to be the end for Rafa. It will be very difficult to deal with that for Rafa, for his team-mates, even for the opponents. I hope the crowd will be warm but respectful. "It has to feel like a big party, but we all need to remember that this is the Davis Cup, a big event.”

Corretja, the two-time Grand Slam runner-up, went on to discuss Nadal’s career achievements. The 50-year-old said the Spaniard’s incredible record in the French Open, where he won the title 14 times, will be very hard for any other player to match.

"I would mention two things," he said. "First, for me, one of the most amazing achievements was when he won his 10th Roland-Garros. That is a number I could never have imagined. After that, the 14th, this is something unreal. Nearly impossible to understand, really.The other one is when he was struggling a lot with injuries, being away from the Tour and capable of coming back from two sets to love against Medvedev, the way Daniil was playing, to win the Australian Open in 2022. That was pretty much the first time in my life when I was watching a Grand Slam final with Rafa and thinking 'No, there is no chance he can do it today', not from two sets to love. If I had to give a 'Chance Predictor' I would have said 1% for Rafa. And I would have said 1% because it was Rafa and you never know with him! He proved us wrong once again. He never gives up and this is probably his biggest legacy."