Chris Evert lauds Rafael Nadal, says she has "no doubt" the Spaniard will be remembered as an "exceptional human being"
Chris Evert recently heaped praise on Rafael Nadal, calling the Mallorcan an "exceptional human being."
The 18-time Major winner quoted a tweet by tennis reporter Luigi Gatto, who referenced one of Nadal's comments from 2020. Gatto's tweet contained quotes from Nadal on how he wishes to be remembered more as a "good person" than a "champion."
"I always say that I would like to be remembered as a good person, more than a champion or anything else," Rafael Nadal had said in October 2020. "Because the victories are moments of happiness and euphoria, but all that is temporary. At the end of the day it's about who you are and how you behave."
Rafael Nadal: "I always say that I would like to be remembered as a good person, more than a champion or anything else. Because the victories are moments of happiness and euphoria, but all that is temporary. At the end of the day it's about who you are and how you behave." 👏 https://t.co/rNpYLjFj2X
Gatto's post was accompanied by photographs showing Nadal helping his compatriots during the 2018 Mallorca floods. Evert quote-tweeted Gatto's post and hailed Nadal.
"No doubt you will be known as an exceptional human being," Chris Evert wrote in response.
No doubt you will be known as an exceptional human being…👏👍 twitter.com/gigicat7_/stat…
What was Rafael Nadal's actual quote?
Rafael Nadal made the aforementioned statement during an interview with the El Periodico website after clinching his 20th Grand Slam title in 2020.
Despite equaling good friend Roger Federer's all-time Grand Slam tally, Nadal stressed that he wishes to be remembered more for his character than his laurels on the tennis court.
"For me, by far, the personal issue is more important than the professional one," Rafael Nadal said. "I always say that I would like to be remembered as a good person, much more than a champion or anything else. Because, in the end, the victories, the titles, are moments of happiness, euphoria, adrenaline, success, but all that is temporary and I have always been very clear about that. The success and interest that you generate in people, in companies, is something temporary. That interest is for what I do, not for what I am."
Nadal also stressed the importance of making a positive impression on people close to you.
"The important thing is that the people who know you have a positive opinion of you, the image that is transferred to the world can be manufactured," Nadal said.
The 35-year-old highlighted the importance of influential people -- including himself -- being responsible for their public image, given that they serve as role models for many.
"I believe that all of us who are popular, who appear on television, to say the least, must be very responsible, because there are many people you can influence, for better and for worse and, therefore, we must take care of our behavior, our words," Nadal added. "I try to act naturally, you cannot be a marketing product, if you are, at some point, something negative comes up that destroys that disguise."
Nadal is currently gearing up for the 2022 season. He is set to compete at the Melbourne Summer Set, an ATP 250 event, before shifting his focus to the Australian Open, which begins later this month.
Nadal last played a competitive match at the Citi Open in August.