Posted by Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday October 11, 2024
You can tell a lot about a tennis player just by listening to other players. Today in Wuhan, we learned more about America Coco Gauff. He gave his thoughts to reporters Rafael NadalHe retired, and in doing so, revealed more about what he valued most about other people.
“He’s my favorite person to watch practice, honestly,” Gauff said of the 22-year-old major leaguer. “The intensity he brings on the practice field and obviously on the game field is something that I feel is unmatched to watch.”
Interestingly, Gauff highlights Nadal’s practice sessions, rather than his matches. Nadal has always been a player who goes about his business at a high level, and Gauff has noticed the Spaniard’s habit of never giving up a point – either on the practice court or on the court.
He says he is having a hard time – like many of us – accepting that Nadal’s career will officially end in November. “To watch [Nadal’s retirement] video, [I was] I’m a little bitter because Rafa is everything I knew when I was growing up. I’m pretty sure he’s won Roland Garros for most of my life.
“I think it’s unfortunate. It will happen to everyone one day. I hope it was completely on his terms. I know that maybe this year he didn’t have as many injuries as he wanted.”
Gauff highlighted Nadal’s actions off the court while paying tribute to the King of Clay in the way he treats others.
Coco Gauff on Rafa: “He’s my favorite person to watch in training to be honest. The intensity he brings in the training ground and obviously in the match field is something that I feel is unmatched to watch.”
– TennisNow (@Tennis_Now) October 11, 2024
“Overall, the job he had is something that players and people dream of,” he said. It’s a rare thing when you meet top players, especially if they’re not women, maybe men. I don’t know, I heard the things he will do, he went out of his way.”
Gauff will never forget the moment Nadal congratulated him after reaching the final of his maiden Roland-Garros in 2022. It was a moment that will always stick with him, as will the time he traded Olympic pins with this legend in Paris. this summer.
“I remember one time he said congratulations to me the year I went to the final of the French Open,” he said. “I did a double take because I couldn’t believe he was talking to me.”
Gauff says he will be telling the story of the trade with Nadal at the Olympics for years to come. His anecdote is another window into Nadal’s humanity. Although he is a shadow and a world celebrity, this Spaniard never saw himself as something special, and always made time to share with the people around him.
Whether it was Gauff, a fan, or the men and women who worked secretly as volunteers at the tournaments he played in, he treated them all with dignity.
“We traded pins at the Olympics, which is what I wanted to do,” he said. “He was very good about that. We were both waiting for the shuttle. It was the last shuttle of the day, so at 11pm I asked her if I could have one of her pins. He gave me one. Carlos [Moya] he was there, too, but Carlos had no pins. I only took a picture with Rafa there. I was like, ‘Carlos, you can’t be in it because you didn’t give me a pin.’
“Yes, I will remember something like that. And something I will tell my children because it means a lot to me.”
