END OF AN ERA

As 38-year-old Nadal walks into the sunset with 22 Grand Slams, Kalyani Mangale writes about a legacy that will live on forever

- Kalyani Mangale

T was the 2013 French Open semi-final. A year after Rafael Nadal had to withdraw from the 2012 Olympics due to a recurring knee injury. He had not played anywhere since going down against Lukas Rosol in the second round. There was a little hope that he would make a comeback in the Australian Open which he missed due to a stomach virus. So when he entered the season at the Chile Open in early February, it felt like he was way off the standards he had set for himself.

After a few titles in, the master of clay returned to Paris for the French Open with an air of familiarity and unknown. Familiarity because Nadal was back at Roland Garros, his adoptive home. However, given how long it had been between the Slams for him, it felt different. Could he win on his home turf again? It took him four sets to get out of the first round, but then it was smooth sailing till the semi-final.