Rafa Nadal celebration

Martin Sidorjak

It has been a couple days since Rafael Nadal won an astonishing 14th title at Roland Garros, which is just enough time for the world to react on social media to this historic feat. There have been countless congratulatory posts for the King of Clay’s 22nd major.

There’s also been some jokes and memes about Nadal’s utter dominance at Roland Garros.

@hilarioustennis
@rolandgarros

We have been together for 14 years 😏 #rafaelnadal #nadal #trophy #rolandgarros

♬ original sound – Roland-Garros

And how about fellow players speaking not only of his dominance but his inspiration.

It was revealed after the tournament that he had been taking nerve injections to numb part of his foot so that he was even able to play.

But the absolute best response must go to Ivan Ljubicic. The former top-three player and current coach of Roger Federer has an idea of how to commemorate this achievement.

@rolandgarros

To honor Rafa, Roland Garros erected this statue of him hitting his patented forehand at last year’s tournament. Ljubicic is saying; however, that the statue is not enough and perhaps the court where he’s had all this success should be named after him. Do you agree?

Of course, Nadal does already have a court named after him. Pista Rafa Nadal is the main show court at the Barcelona Open, an ATP 500 event in his native Spain that he has won on 12 occasions. The court was renamed in 2017 when he was a mere nine-time champion.

It’s unlikely the French Open would name their biggest court after a non-French player, but it certainly says something about his unprecedented greatness on Court Philippe-Chatrier that it could be considered.

Tags
Popular reads