"When I started playing, everything was Rafael Nadal": Pablo Llamas Ruiz reflects on Spanish tennis legends of past and present
ATPThursday, 26 October 2023 at 09:30
Spain’s young tennis star Pablo Llamas Ruiz has revealed
that he grew up idiolising the former world number one Rafael Nadal.
The 37-year-old is often regarded as one of the greatest
players in the history of men’s singles tennis in the Open era, having won 22 Grand
Slam titles.
Llamas Ruiz was recently quoted in a report where he revealed
how when he was growing up, everything was about Nadal in Spain.
“When I started playing, everything was Nadal. I remember
everyone had his racket, everyone was talking about him," he said.
“Historically, Spain has always had many players in the Top
100, there was even a time when we had four or five players in the Top 20,
that’s incredible.
“Having seen Spanish players like Rafa Nadal, David Ferrer,
Feliciano Lopez, Fernando Verdasco, Pablo Carreno on TV... it really helps you
and I’ve even shared training sessions with them, at the High Performance
Centre I practised with Carreno.”
Read also
Nadal is currently spending time on the sidelines as he continues
to recover from a hip injury sustained in the Australian Open. It was because
of this reason, he ended up missing three out of four Grand Slams in 2023.
Nadal’s most successful competition has been the French Open
where he has lifted the title 14 times. That is also a record in the tournament’s
history.
Azeem Siddiqui is a seasoned sports journalist and data analyst with a strong background in both digital media and live sports production.
He began his journalism career working with partners of The New York Times and has since contributed to several leading international sports publications, including Fox Sports Asia, Calciomercato, and GiveMeSport. Since 2023, Azeem has been part of the TennisUpToDate team, where he has played a key role in sustaining the platform’s growth and ensuring tennis fans receive timely and reliable coverage of the sport’s biggest stories.
In addition to his editorial work, Azeem has extensive experience as a data analyst in live sports broadcasting—particularly in cricket—where he combines analytical precision with creative storytelling. He has collaborated with multiple production companies and cricket boards worldwide, delivering real-time insights and data-driven narratives during live match coverage.
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