The prolonged closing chapter of greats, particularly in an arena as inconsistent and undependable as professional sport, is a true tribulation of the mind. It’s like the blowing of a long-standing bulb: you flick the switch – more than once, as many as thrice – in a subconscious instruction to your brain that it cannot be time to recycle and replace. But sometimes there can be no denying the undeniable, no matter how unpalatable. Power is not possible any more.
Yet over the past two decades, nothing has been as consistent and dependable as Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros. Eighteen appearances, 14 titles, one king of clay. Domination unparalleled not just in tennis but in the history of sport. His legacy is indisputable, illustrated best by his silver statue on the east side of the complex. Yet ultimately, nobody fools Father Time.
