The Rafael-Toni Nadal partnership completes a full circle in pursuit of La Decima at Roland Garros

“All good things must come to an end.” – Geoffrey Chaucer, Troilus and Criseyde, 1380.

Nearly 12 years ago, as the 18-year-old Rafael Nadal wrested his first Major at Roland Garros, his uncle and coach, Toni Nadal, beamed with pride from the stands even as he raised his fists, pumping them in exhilaration.

As Rafa Nadal bit the trophy, in what has now come to be a familiar gesture of claiming ownership of his success, a certain portion of ownership seemed to be staked by Toni Nadal too, adding to the unforgettable nature of the moment.

Rafael Nadal: A product of Toni Nadal’s training as much as of the times

Hurtling through time, memory and several such other instances in his career – both good as well as bad – in these intervening years, the duo look to have covered a great deal of distance, both literally and figuratively.

They have rejoiced at the ups as they have tried to look past the ebbing current of their dominance. They have had to face up to some tough questions, as they have had shrugged these queries without losing sight of their objective, which has had invariably peaked during the clay season – specifically in Paris.

The last two years were then recurring disappointments to the Nadal camp in the French capital. Nadal’s injury-related withdrawal in the middle of the Open in 2016 added to the insult that Novak Djokovic had inflicted upon him in 2015, defeating him in straight sets in the quarter-finals.

However, doing well as he has been this season, the tournament will undoubtedly see them add a few more miles this distance traversed by them, with the younger Nadal bidding for a historic 10th title – or the La Decima, as it’s being referred to – on the second Sunday at Stade Roland Garros.

In a way, in these dozen years, there have been some changes in the duality that has been their partnerships. There’s also been a lot that hasn’t changed in their relationship that Toni Nadal has been a visible force in seeing his nephew’s career rise to dizzying heights.

His serious countenance has remained intact while he evaluates Rafa Nadal’s game, perched behind him from within the confines of the team box. Just as Toni Nadal remains the first person towards whom his protege directs his sight after having won a title, most recently sweeping hauls in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Madrid.

La Decima: Nadal’s potential tryst with destiny, and beyond

Nadal’s near-frenzied pace from January until now can, then, also be seen as a marker for him to try and give his uncle more such glimpses of his successes, mindful of the distance that would come up between them during the course of the tennis calendar.

Jubilant after winning his fifth Madrid Open title in May, Nadal acknowledged, “I try to compete. I did well in Monte-Carlo and Barcelona, and also here. I hope to do the same in Rome. I just try to go for all of them.”

Nadal’s comments on the emotional connect of winning these three tournaments consecutively that underscored the significance they held for him.

“I’m very happy for what I achieved. I think it’s difficult to win three different trophies in a row on clay,” he reeled off, adding, “Today is a day to be satisfied, to be happy and to have this trophy. This is a very emotional period of the season. I really enjoy these tournaments.”

His quarter-final exit in the Rome Masters’ quarter-final to Dominic Thiem prevented him from achieving the perfect quartet of titles leading up to the French Open. His upset notwithstanding, he’s secured himself of a top-four seeding for the second Slam of the year, which will give him a wider berth around the draw, befitting his status as the sole favourite in the tournament.

Additionally, there was also a certain welcome timeliness in Nadal’s defeat in Rome. While he may have pushed himself to the brink to succeed throughout the beat of the clay season, being caught unawares by Thiem will give him more time to rest and recharge for the all-important two weeks.

His loss to Thiem in Rome was, too, the end of the proverbial good things as Chaucer opined, centuries ago. As it would be, after the Parisian fortnight with the two Nadal’s professional road-map of togetherness diverging, despite the actualities being set for the end of the season.

It will be a fitting end to their tennis chapter at the one place where their adventure began in the first place. Perhaps, with far more reverberating set of emotions than all those years ago.