"I admire Rafael Nadal because of his humility" - World No. 1 MotoGP racer Joan Mir
Rafael Nadal is arguably the most loved and respected athlete to have ever come out of Spain. Nadal's accomplishments over the years have endeared him to his compatriots in a way that no other personality has, with even renowned celebrities repeatedly professing their admiration for him.
Recently, MotoGP rider Joan Mir showered rich praise on Rafael Nadal while describing the countrymen he looks up to. Mir has himself made it to the summit of his sport; he is currently the top-ranked MotoGP racer in the world.
As per AS, Mir admires Rafael Nadal not just for his incredible on-court skill, but also for his humble persona off the court.
"I admire (Rafael) Nadal, because he is my countryman, but also because of the humility that he expresses and reaches people about him," Mir said. "I think he has done very well and has a very good image. I like him a lot."
I pay attention to high-level athletes wanting to learn: Joan Mir on his admiration for Rafael Nadal and Pau Gasol
Joan Mir has found himself at the top of the MotoGP rankings following a remarkable year, where he won one race and had seven other podium finishes. Rafael Nadal is not, however, the only fellow Spaniard Mir is in awe of; the 23-year-old claimed that six-time NBA all star Pau Gasol is also someone he looks up to.
"And I also like (Pau) Gasol a lot, because of his way of being. I pay attention to the high-level athletes, because they are people who have more experience than me, and I want to learn from them," Mir said.
Rafael Nadal has himself had a breakthrough season in 2020. The 34-year-old defeated Novak Djokovic 6-0, 6-2, 7-5 in the French Open final to lift an historic 13th Roland Garros trophy, while also equaling Roger Federer's record of 20 Grand Slam titles in the process.
During the course of the year, the World No. 2 also broke the record for most consecutive weeks spent in the top 10 of the world rankings and the most year-end top 2 finishes. To round off an already positive year, the Spaniard also won his 1000th match on the ATP tour, becoming only the fourth player to do so in the Open Era.