"More than a century of uninterrupted successes of our athletes, among whom I count myself" - Rafael Nadal writes prologue for new book
Rafael Nadal has been dominating the headlines in the tennis world over the last couple of weeks, in the wake of his remarkable triumph at Roland Garros. It was his record-extending 13th French Open title, which helped him tie Roger Federer's all-time record of 20 Slams overall.
It has now emerged that the Spaniard, who is a native of Mallorca in the Balearic Islands of Spain, recently wrote the prologue of the book 'Baleares Tierra de Campeones'. Roughly translated to 'Balearic land of Champions', the book contains a detailed extract from Nadal where he describes his joy at being from the area.
"An encyclopedia of small and great feats" - Rafael Nadal cherishes book celebrating Balearic athletes
As per La Vanguardia, the book, written by Spanish journalists Miguel Vidal and Fernando Fernandez, is a tribute to the athletes that the Balearic region of Spain has produced over the years. The most prolific of those, of course, happens to be Rafael Nadal.
In fact, many believe Nadal is the greatest Spanish athlete of all time, while some also claim he is the greatest men's singles tennis player ever.
In his prologue, the 34-year-old expresses his gratitude to his native region in effusive terms. He also claims the book is a testament to the sacrifices made by the people living there.
Roughly translated from Spaniash, the piece reads:
"The book in your hands was born with a vocation to endure. To endure in time, to endure in the memory, to endure as a testimony of efforts and sacrifices until the Balearic Islands, also in sport, are seen as a land of champions."
Rafael Nadal also pays homage to the athletes of the region - both past and present.
"An encyclopedia of small and great feats over more than one hundred years, which is the time span from the conquest of the first Spanish champion title by Jaume Mayol in 1913 to the last by Luna Yasmina Fluxá Cross. in 2020. More than a century of uninterrupted successes of our athletes, among whom I count myself, and in all sports, especially in those sports that have to do with our environment: the sea."
The book details the experiences of Olympic athletes such as Cristóbal Tauler (shooting), Marga Crespí and Melani Costa (swimming), and Marga Fullana, Joan Llaneras, Guillem Timoner, Miquel Alzamora and Toni Tauler (cycling) - all of whom hail from the Balearic Islands of Spain.
Rafael Nadal's coach and mentor Carlos Moya also features in the 1400 page-long encyclopedia. Footballers Francisco Soler and Gabi Vidal, who won the gold medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, round off the list of celebrated athletes featured from the region.