Rafael Nadal is recognised as one of the greatest tennis players of all time, and a massive Real Madrid fan.
Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam champion and an Olympic gold medallist, became a Real Madrid fan largely due to his family and his father, who have been longtime ‘Madridistas.’
Nadal became a Madrid fan despite his uncle, Miguel Angel Nadal, playing for Barcelona.
In 2018, Real Madrid were one of the dominant forces in football. That season, the club became the first side in Champions League history to win three consecutive tournaments after defeating Liverpool 3-1 in the final.
Shortly after the final, to the surprise of many football fans, manager and club legend Zinedine Zidane resigned from his post.
Nadal offered his reaction to Zidane’s departure.
Rafael Nadal said he was ‘surprised’ by Zinedine Zidane’s Real Madrid resignation
On May 31, 2018, Zidane announced his departure from Real Madrid, claiming he did not have the support required from the club.
In an open letter published on AS, as reported by BBC Sport, Zidane said: “I’m leaving because I feel the club no longer has the faith in me I need, nor the support to build something in the medium or long term.
“I understand football and I know the demands of a club like Real Madrid. I know when you don’t win, you have to leave.
“I’m a natural-born winner and I was here to win trophies, but even more important than this are the people, their feelings, life itself and I have the sensation these things have not been taken into account.
“There has been a failure to understand that these things also keep the dynamics of a great club going. To some extent I have even been rebuked for it.”
A day later, Nadal commented on Zidane’s departure, expressing his disappointment at the development.
“I was a bit surprised logically, because he had said that he wanted to continue, from what I had heard,” Nadal said, as per the Daily Express.
“It’s a day which is not a pleasant day for the family, because he’s a great person.
“He’s a person who has done a lot of good in the club, and he’s a person who, apart from being one of the best coaches in the world who’s had an incredible success, first as a player and then as a coach, he’s a person who’s always carried an exceptional behaviour all along, and even as he’s leaving he’s a normal person.
“In difficult moments he always wears a smile. He never criticises the referees or the players or the club.”
Zidane presented Rafael Nadal with his first Grand Slam trophy
In 2005, Rafael Nadal won the first of his 22 Grand Slam titles at the French Open.
Nadal, who was 19 years old, defeated Mariano Puerta 6–7, 6–3, 6–1, 7–5 in the final.
After the final, both Nadal and Puerta were presented with their respective trophies by Zidane, who was a Real Madrid player at the time.
Nadal went on to win 13 more French Open titles, the last being in 2022.
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