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World no. 2 Rafael Nadal has embraced a different kind of battle in the last five weeks, replacing the tennis court with cooperation with the fellow Spanish athletes in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic that has severely affected Spain.
The 19-time Major champion joined forces with the basketball legend and his close friend Pau Gasol, forming a Red Cross campaign Nuestra Mejor Victoria and trying to collect as much money as possible for all those who have been suffering due to a pandemic in the last couple of months.
Besides many other activities, Rafa has donated one of his shirts from 2019 Roland Garros final that will now go to the auction, with all the funds raised going to the Red Cross campaign. Battling with Novak Djokovic, Nadal managed to finish the previous season as world no.
1 for the fifth time in a career, winning Roland Garros and the US Open to move just a Major away from Roger Federer who stands on 20. En route to the 12th Roland Garros crown, Rafa toppled Kei Nishikori, Roger Federer and Dominic Thiem, ousting the Austrian 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 in just over three hours to write history books once again and extend an unprecedented dominance in Paris that will never be repeated.
"For this auction, I wanted to donate the shirt with which I won Roland Garros in 2019. I do not know if it is the one I ended the match in but one with which I played on the day of the final," said Nadal. "It is a shirt that has great meaning for me.
I hope you value it and the auction raises as much money as possible for all these people who are suffering so much and need all our support."