Nadal has had a tremendous year, winning a historic 13th Roland Garros title and in the process equaling Roger Federer’s record of 20 Grand Slam titles. This distinction from Spanish publication AS is just the latest in a series of major honors for the 34-year-old; he has also recently been awarded the Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Sporting Merit and the ‘Gran Cruz de la Orden del Dos de Mayo’.
The AS award, however, placed special recognition on the 34-year-old’s humanitarian efforts - especially in the fight against COVID-19.
One day I spoke with Pau Gasol and we agreed with Cruz Roja for the project: Rafael Nadal on COVID-19 relief work
During the ceremony where he received the award, Rafael Nadal acknowledged the tough time people are going through due to the global health crisis. He also talked about how he had organized a campaign (#NuestraMejorVictoria) to support the Red Cross Respond project, which was contributing towards the relief for the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite the topsy-turvy year, the Spaniard ended it at an all-time high. Following his record-extending 13th Roland Garros title, Rafael Nadal broke the record for most consecutive weeks spent in the top 10 of the world rankings. He also won his 1000th match on tour, a feat achieved by only three men before him in the Open Era.
But at the AS event, Rafael Nadal chose to focus on the off-field situation instead. He expressed pride at how the sporting community in Spain had come together to help, and also extended condolences to those who had lost their loved ones during the crisis.
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