Rafael Nadal‘s uncle, Toni Nadal, remembers how the French Open crowd wasn’t too happy with his nephew winning so much. As he prepares to retire after the Davis Cup Finals this month, Rafael Nadal’s career at Roland-Garros stands out with 14 titles from 2005 to 2022. His last victory was against Casper Ruud, a player who once trained at his academy.
Nadal only lost four times at the French Open: twice to Novak Djokovic in 2015 and 2021, once to Robin Soderling in 2009, and most recently to Alexander Zverev. Newer fans might recall how much support Nadal got in recent years at Roland-Garros and even during the Olympics when Djokovic beat him for a third time there.
However, it wasn’t always like that. In the early days of his dominance, many people in Paris rooted for whoever was playing against him. Especially memorable were his matches against Roger Federer from 2006 to 2008 when he stopped Federer from winning a first title there. Fans often felt torn between these two great players.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rafael Nadal | 38 | 215 | 7 - 5 |
Changing Perceptions:
Toni shared that initially there was no animosity towards Rafael; it grew as he kept winning again and again. “The first year, I had no animosity,” Toni said. “I think later when he started winning so much, people didn’t want to see him win so much.” But Rafa’s respectful behavior on and off the court changed minds over time.
Fans might think it’s interesting how attitudes shifted because of how Rafa behaved rather than just his victories alone. Toni noted that eventually “the French public surrendered” because Rafa showed class and respect throughout his matches—qualities that earned admiration beyond just tennis skills.
In contrast with Federer’s era, Nadal’s matches against Djokovic saw different dynamics; crowds mostly cheered for Rafa while sometimes booing Djokovic during their encounters in Paris. This shift highlighted not only changing perceptions but also differences between their personalities—Nadal being calm while Djokovic embraced fiery exchanges with audiences.
Do you think players’ personalities affect how crowds cheer?
