Nov 6, 2024 - Nov 23, 2024
Last month, an emotional Rafael Nadal held a press conference announcing his plan to retire at the end of the 2024 season. The 38-year-old Spaniard has struggled with injuries over the past few years, and for two decades he has fought through the incurable Mueller-Weiss syndrome in his foot. It truly is the end of an era. Who will ever match Rafa’s athleticism, perseverance, intensity, and desire to compete on the tennis court? We know one thing. No player will come close to equaling his 14 French Open titles and dominance on clay. His 22 Grand Slams overall are second only to Novak Djokovic’s 24 on the men’s all-time list.
Presented here is the shirt Nadal wore during his run to the 2022 Australian Open title, his 21st grand slam that broke a three-way tie with Djoker and Roger Federer at 20 majors apiece. It has been conclusively photo-matched by Sports Investors Authentication to his straight set victory (6-1, 6-4, 6-2) in the opening round against American Marcos Giron. Sixth-seeded Rafa battled through a five-set win in the Quarterfinals and a four-setter over #7 seed Matteo Berrettini of Italy in the Semis, before taking out #2 seed Daniil Medvedev of Russia in an epic five-set Final. Nadal followed this historic triumph in Melbourne with his 14th Roland Garros title in April. Who knew then that major number 22 would be his last. For the 2022 season, Rafa won four titles and went 39-6 overall, improving his world ranking from sixth to second by year’s end.
The purple Nike player-exclusive shirt has Nadal’s “Raging Bull” logo and the Swoosh on the left chest in gray. A “Custom Athlete” tag hangs inside the rear collar. The shirt has white trim around the collar and sleeve ends, and is designed with larger than usual mesh holes, which were very helpful in determining the photo-match. The shirt displays plenty of wear with signs of stretching and pilling. It was procured by our consignor from a member of Nadal’s inner circle shortly after the tournament. Includes full authentication paperwork from Sports Investors.
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