Feliciano Lopez interview: ‘My friend Rafael Nadal is as good a human as tennis player – that’s remarkable’

“We person been friends for 20 years,” Feliciano Lopez explains. “As a quality being, helium is amazing, and I americium precise arrogant to beryllium considered 1 of his friends.”

Nadal, 38, who won 22 Grand Slams and spent 912 consecutive weeks successful the world’s apical 10 during a dizzying career. His tally of 14 French Open titles is the astir times immoderate subordinate has ever won a azygous Grand Slam, and his archetypal US Open rubric successful 2010 astatine the property of 24 made him the youngest antheral successful the Open epoch to triumph each 4 Grand Slams.

Lopez hopes to beryllium lifelong friends with Nadal. He tells Standard Sport: “The archetypal clip I saw him helium was astir apt 15 years old. That was besides the archetypal clip we shared the court, connected a signifier session. Since then, I person seen galore antithetic Rafas.

“I’ve ever been precise adjacent to him. I conscionable privation Rafa the precise champion for his life, for this caller chapter. I deliberation helium is going to beryllium precise happy, due to the fact that helium is simply a precise passionate person, precise active, consenting to bash things each the time. I americium definite helium is going to bask his beingness aft tennis.”

Lopez, a erstwhile Davis Cup-winning teammate of Nadal’s, is present 43 and the Davis Cup tourney director.

“I americium precise thankful, precise grateful for everything helium has done for the sport,” Lopez says.

“He is simply a precise shy person; this is thing that astir apt cipher knows. The infinitesimal you get to cognize him a small spot more, helium tin beryllium precise funny. Everything helium does helium does with passion. It is precise bully to spot idiosyncratic with truthful overmuch enthusiasm for everything helium does.

“One of the reasons for him to beryllium specified a large rival is self-belief. A batch has been said regarding his cognition connected tribunal and fittingness condition, but I deliberation helium is large tennis player. Technically, tactically, helium is astir apt if not the champion 1 past the 2nd oregon 3rd successful the past of the sport.

“Tennis-wise, helium is truthful powerful. It is precise hard to look idiosyncratic that is playing with the aforesaid magnitude of strength each azygous constituent and doesn’t springiness you immoderate interruption astatine all.”

Between them, Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic won 66 Grand Slams — with Djokovic inactive playing and inactive successful the hunt for more. The trio defined the past 2 decades successful men’s tennis.

“They person a monolithic admiration for each other,” Lopez reveals. “That is portion of the occurrence they person had — the respect that they showed implicit the past 20 years. Their publication to tennis is retired of this world. Tennis is connected a wholly antithetic level present than 20 years ago, due to the fact that of Roger, Rafa and Novak.”

Records tumbled passim Nadal’s outstanding career, and Lopez believes the antheral from Mallorca volition discontinue with a peerless legacy.

“He volition beryllium remembered arsenic 1 of the champion successful history, of course, but I deliberation his property is astir comparable to his skills arsenic a tennis player,” helium says.

“He has to beryllium precise proud. I deliberation that is beauteous remarkable.”